In a statement, Ian Brodie, chairman of the party’s leadership election organizing committee (LEOC), said the results of the months-long campaign will be presented at Ottawa’s Shaw Center shortly after 6 p.m. ET. on Saturday. But, Brodie said, there would be “a revised program to reflect the death of Her Majesty the Queen”. A party spokesman said the event would be “more somber” and that there would not be “the big party atmosphere that was originally planned”. For example, the party has canceled the “big confetti guns” that are usually deployed when a new leader takes the stage to address members and the country after being elected. “The tone of the speeches will change somewhat and we’ll start with a tribute to Her Majesty. You should probably expect to see more black clothing than originally envisioned,” the spokesman, Yaroslav Baran, told CBC News. There are five candidates vying for the top job: Conservative MPs Scott Aitchison, Pierre Poilievre and Leslyn Lewis, former Quebec premier Jean Charest and former Ontario MP Roman Baber. The party leadership event will take place on the same day the Accession Council is expected to meet at St James’s Palace in London, where Charles will be formally crowned monarch. The UK parliament is also expected to meet that evening so MPs can pledge allegiance to King Charles III and express their condolences over the Queen’s death.
Memorial events planned across Canada
Following the queen’s death on Thursday, the Canadian government began a ten-day period of mourning to mark the monarch’s remarkable seven-decade reign. A series of memorial services, memorial parades and other local events are planned across the country. Parliament Hill is bathed in purple light and the Queen Elizabeth II Royal Cup is displayed at the Peace Tower following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in Ottawa on Thursday. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press) A ceremony will be held at Ottawa’s Christ Church Cathedral on the same day as the Queen’s former state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London, which is likely to take place on September 19. The flag will be flown at half-staff at all federal buildings and facilities in Canada and abroad, including the Peace Tower, until sunset on the day of the funeral. The government will also be less active during this period. A spokesperson for the Privy Council Office (PCO), the department that serves the prime minister and cabinet, told CBC News that “government communication and ministerial activities will be reduced” during the mourning period.
