Updated: Mon Nov. 09 2009 1:51:25 PM

ctvtoronto.ca

There will be a surge in Canadians attending Remembrance Day ceremonies this year, a new survey suggests.

An Ipsos Reid poll found two in 10 Canadians (about 20 per cent -- 4.8 million people) are planning to attend an official Remembrance Day service on November 11.

That is up from 2008 when 16 per cent of Canadians reported attending a service.

The numbers are even greater this year among Canadians who had or have a family member serving in the Canadian Forces.

The poll found that 54 per cent of those surveyed (about 13 million adult Canadians) said they have a direct relative who has served the military in a war or conflict.

The survey was commissioned by the Historica-Dominion Institute, an organization that launched a campaign to get schools and businesses to take two minutes to remember all those who have served the Canadian Forces.

The survey also showed that the majority of Canadians support their campaign. Eighty-five per cent of those polled said they either strongly agree or somewhat agree with pausing for two minutes at 11 a.m. on November 11 to honour those in service.

Younger Canadians

Younger Canadians have proven to be the most apathetic of the groups polled.

Canadians between the ages of 18 and 34 are less likely (13 per cent) to attend an official Remembrance Day service than their middle aged and senior counterparts.

The survey also found that the majority of young Canadians (61 per cent) don't believe observing two minutes of silence should be mandatory at school or in the workplace.

However, nearly half of this age group (49 per cent) supported the idea of having public transit and regular traffic stop at the designated time to observe a moment of silence.

The Ipsos-Reid poll was released in honour of Veterans' Week ahead of Remembrance Day on Nov. 11.

Canadians will have a chance to honour those who served their country in both the First and Second World War by taking part in one of several ceremonies being held across the Greater Toronto Area.

Here's a look at some of the special memorial events taking place around Toronto:

Sunnybrook Veterans Hospital

• Sunnybrook is home to the largest health-care facility for veterans in the country. Each year, a special memorial is held inside Warrior's Hall and is attended by several government officials, Veterans Affairs Canada as well as members of the Royal Canadian Legion. After the service, veterans and their friends and family members are invited to lay memorial wreaths at the historic cenotaph on the grounds of Sunnybrook.

City of Toronto Remembrance Day Ceremony

• This ceremony takes place each year on the steps of Old City Hall at 60 Queen St. W. at the corner of Bay and Queen Street. Government officials from all levels usually attend the memorial and hundreds of people often leave their poppies at the site as a show of respect to the veterans. Time: 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Queen's Park Remembrance Day Ceremony

• This ceremony is a traditional event that takes place each year on the lawns of Queen's Park, at the front of the Ontario Legislature. Dignitaries and war veterans place a wreath at the foot of the Cenotaph to pay homage to those who died in service. Time: 10:30 a.m. to noon

War Requiem Concert

• This concert will take place both on Nov. 11 and Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. at Roy Thomson Hall. Veterans and members of the Canadian Armed Forces will receive a 30 per cent discount on tickets for the concert, which is held by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The show features Benjamin Britten's War Requiem -- a choral masterpiece that symbolizes the deep mourning over the loss of life during the First World War. Ticket costs range from $22 to $91.25.

Toronto will also mark Remembrance Day this Wednesday at each of the city's civic centres.

The public is invited to attend the events, which will occur at:

• East York Civic Centre Memorial Gardens at 10:45 a.m.
• Etobicoke Civic Centre Cenopath at 10:15 a.m.
• North York Civic Centre George Weston Hall at 10:45 a.m.
• York Civic Centre auditorium at 10:45 a.m.

Other notable services include:

• Fort York National Historic Site at 10:45 a.m.
• Swansea Town Hall at 10:45 a.m.
• Toronto Zoo at 10:55 a.m.

Last year, the city marked the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War by projecting the names of the 68,000 Canadian soldiers who died during battle onto the east tower of city hall.