List of Tables not generated

[sbs-jms]

Pandoc: 2.9.2.1 (as provided by WSL)
pandoc-crossref: 0.3.6.4

Source is in markdown. Output is HTML.
Template file includes:

$if(lot)$
<p id="toc-header">List of Tables</p>
<nav class="toc">
$listoftables$
</nav>
$endif$

pandoc command line is:

pandoc -M title=" " \
      --css spec.css \
      --columns 80 \
      --metadata-file=variables.yaml \
      --metadata-file=format_overrides.yaml \
      --metadata-file=$DOC_ROOT/crossref.yaml \
      --filter $DOC_ROOT/pandoc-crossref \
      --from markdown+gfm_auto_identifiers+implicit_header_references \
      SOURCE.md \
      -o SOURCE.html

Header is produced (so if statement is properly parsed), but neither \listoftables, \$listoftables\$, nor \$list-of-tables\$ (which mimics the toc code just above to toc section of he template file) produces any output