People in countries around the world will be watching, as U.S. President-Elect Joe Biden takes the oath of office at noon Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol.

(Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris and her husband, and President-Elect Joe Biden, and his wife, attend a COVID-19 memorial in Washington on Tuesday. Biden and Harris will be sworn in as the next president and vice president on Wednesday. AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES)

Security is unprecedented after the deadly riot at the capitol building on January 6th.

At least 12 members of the U.S. National Guard have been removed from inauguration duty after a rigorous screening process revealed that some of the dozen are linked to right wing extremism.

U.S. National Guard Chief Dan Hokinson says these individuals are only a few of a massive group taking their job to secure the capitol very seriously.

Among the small number of people attending the inauguration in person is Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman, who says she does not feel nervous at all about being there.

Toronto’s mayor is following developments from a distance.

John Tory said on Wednesday morning, he looks forward to a predictable and stable future with the incoming Biden administration.

“Even Toronto and Ontario are very important trading partners by themselves with the United States and we have such hugely important business ties with them that are important to our city as well, so stability, predictability, people working together as opposed to waking up every morning and trying to figure out what’s going to happen next, I think that is really going to important to us and I think we’re going to have more of that in the regime to come,” Tory explained to CP24.

Meantime, outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump has offered 143 pardons and commutations ahead of leaving the White House.

They include former chief strategist Steve Bannon and rapper Lil Wayne.