Remembrance Day ceremonies in Toronto are just a few days away. And because I often let this day slip by without what feels like due recognition, this year I wanted to make sure that put together a post that looks back at the impact the First and Second World War had on Toronto. But rather than doing this via a history lesson I'm not fully qualified to deliver, I thought a glimpse at historical photos from Toronto during both wars would be the best way to engage in the act of commemoration.

Despite the fact that these wars weren't fought on home soil, the war effort was an all-encompassing one, and had a profound effect on the lives of all Torontonians. From the recruiting tents where men were dispatched to the front lines -- many of whom never returned -- to the rise of jobs that involved manufacturing weapons to the many war-related advertisements and Victory Bond campaigns that appeared on billboards and in shop windows, everything in the city must have seemed in one way or another to revolve around the fighting in Europe.

In honour of these efforts on the home front and most especially to the those who sacrificed their lives in fighting overseas, here's a rundown of some of the key Remembrance Day ceremonies and a series of photographs that capture what Toronto was like from 1914-1918 and 1939-1945.

Ceremonies on November 11th

• Etobicoke Civic Centre (399 The West Mall) Cenotaph - 10:15 a.m. (program PDF)


• Old City Hall (60 Queen Street West), Cenotaph - 10:30 a.m. (program PDF)


• Fort York / Strachan Avenue Military Cemetery (100 Garrison Road) - 10:45 a.m.


• North York Civic Centre (5040 Yonge Street) - 10:45 a.m. (program PDF)


• East York Civic Centre (850 Coxwell Avenue) - 10:45 a.m. (program PDF)

Photos

World War I

World War II

V-E Day Celebrations

For more on war time Toronto, check out The City of Toronto Archives and OpenFile's Remembrance Day coverage.

All images from the Wikimedia Commons and the Toronto Archives.