November 11, 2010 in Port Coquitlam
I cannot recall a Remembrance Day that had as many people attend the Wilson Centre service and the laying of the wreaths at the Cenotaph at Veterans Park.
It was a moving experience to see the thousands of residents who came out to pay tribute to our veterans of years past as well as the soldiers returning from the current conflict.
I am honoured to be asked to speak at the Remembrance Day service at Wilson Centre, in fact, it takes me months to write my speech. Below is a copy of the speech I gave on behalf of our residents.
Here is a link to some of the wonderful pictures taken my Mary Ness – pictures.
As we gather here today to remember and pay tribute to those who have served our Country in wars abroad.
Today is a day we attempt to reconcile the impact of previous generations; their sacrifices and dedication to make our country and our world a more peaceful place to live, with today's soldiers who are in conflict in Afghanistan.
Earlier this year I read an article in the Town Crier, a community news paper in Ontario. The article helped me understand the impact of the previous generation of soldiers and what it means to military service today.
The Price of Peace Monument takes prominence in the small town square of Ortona, in central Italy.
It commemorates the dedication, sacrifice and friendship of Canadian soldiers who liberated that small town as part of the Italian Campaign of the Second World War.
Almost 100,000 Canadians helped to liberate mainland Italy, with more than 26,000 casualties.
Six-thousand would never return home, buried in war cemeteries now marking their original route.
This past year, a Canadian delegation re-traced and remembered that campaign. Following the Ortona ceremony, there were two young men in jeans, bearing backpacks with small Canadian flags, standing just outside the service.
They had been attracted by the sound of the pipes and bugle, and the sight of poppies on lapels and the Canadian flags that school children were waving.
Canadian soldiers, Matt Swanston and Kyle Yorston, 19 and 20 year old reservists with the Seaforth Highlanders, were on a two-week leave from active service in Afghanistan.
Matt and Kyle were introduced to an elderly Italian woman, Francesca La Sorda who, as a young girl, was liberated by Canadian soldiers. With her hugs and kisses she thanked them for continuing in that noble tradition.
Matt and Kyle hope that there may be a young Afghan child who will remember them 65 years later, giving thanks for Canadian efforts in a difficult war.
We are glad that Matt and Kyle, along with thousands of other Canadian soldiers, including those from Port Coquitlam, have come home safely.
We must also remember the thousands of soldiers still serving on our behalf today.
We cannot forget about the 153 soldiers who have lost there lives in the current war.
We can not forget about the millions of lives that were lost in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. Or the many, many lives that have been altered by war.
We must not forget. We shall never forget.
It is our job as Canadians to ensure that we continue to educate our children of the importance of our veterans.
This is not a job we should leave to our school system, this is a privilege we should take on as parents and citizens of Canada.
This is not a discussion we should have once a year, this should be a topic of discussion we have throughout the year.
We shall never forget.
