Federal Government Reverses Course on Wreath Limit After Pushback from Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP

The federal government has reversed plans to limit Remembrance Day wreaths after Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound MP Alex Ruff raised concerns in Parliament.

The federal government has walked back a controversial plan to limit the number of Remembrance Day wreaths provided to Members of Parliament, following public backlash and pointed criticism from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound MP and veteran Alex Ruff.

Earlier this week, CTV News reported that Veterans Affairs Canada had notified MPs of a “revised format” for its Wreaths for Parliamentarians program.

The email, sent by Veterans Affairs Minister Jill McKnight, stated that each MP would receive two wreaths at no cost, with additional wreaths available for $115 each plus shipping, to be paid for by the requesting MP’s office.

For MPs representing large rural ridings—like Ruff’s, which includes dozens of cenotaphs across Grey and Bruce counties—the change would have left many local ceremonies without official federal representation.

Ruff raised the issue in the House of Commons on Friday, calling on the government to reverse course.

“Many ridings have dozens of cenotaphs that request wreaths for Remembrance Day. The Liberals are now telling MPs that Veterans Affairs Canada will only pay for two,” Ruff said, noting that in Tara, 200 names are read aloud each year in remembrance of those who served.

“Veterans Affairs uses the tag ‘Canada Remembers’ on social media. So why now is the government choosing to forget our veterans?” he pressed.

In response, Minister McKnight informed the House that she had instructed her department to revert to the previous format for this year’s program, having realized that the new policy would cause significant disruption to Remembrance Day events. The announcement drew applause from both sides of the chamber.

Speaking to CTV News afterward, Ruff said he was relieved the government had reconsidered and was “grateful common sense prevailed.”

The issue struck a particular chord in communities like Owen Sound, Meaford, and Hanover, where local Remembrance Day ceremonies are central to civic life. MPs from rural areas often attend multiple events across their ridings, laying wreaths at cenotaphs to honour Canada’s fallen service members.

“Laying a wreath at every cenotaph in Canada, in memory of the over 100,000 Canadians that have made the supreme sacrifice, is the least the government can do. Lest We Forget,” Ruff said in his written statement to CTV News.

Veterans Affairs Canada has not confirmed whether the proposed cost-sharing model will return in future years. For now, the traditional system of providing enough wreaths for MPs to attend ceremonies across their ridings at no additional cost will remain in place for 2025.

Remembrance Day will be observed on Tuesday, November 11, with local ceremonies scheduled at cenotaphs throughout Grey and Bruce counties.