Statement made on 16 June 2011 by Senator Joseph Day
Hon. Joseph A. Day:
Honourable senators, every year, the spring brings two important dates in our military history. On April 9, we celebrated what many argue was the birth of our nation, the battle at Vimy Ridge. Recently, on June 6, we celebrated the landing of the Canadian Forces on Juno Beach during the D-Day invasion of Normandy.
Canada consistently ventured overseas to join our allies in the last century's greatest conflicts. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that the sacrifices for Canada in foreign lands of our men and women do not go unheeded. While it is the duty of every Canadian to pause and reflect on what our men and women in the Armed Forces have done and continue to do for us, organizations have emerged that ensure there are permanent memorials in foreign lands that let everyone know that Canadians fought and died there. Two organizations in particular — the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Canadian Battlefields Association — have taken on this role.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission was created by Royal Charter in 1917 with the objective of marking and maintaining the graves of Commonwealth members who died in World War I. To date, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission pays tribute to the 1,700,000 men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the two world wars, of which 113,000 were Canadian. Canada and other participating governments share the costs of maintaining these sites in proportion to their number of war dead. Canada also shares proportionately the costs of the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Pusan, Korea, where 378 Canadians are buried.
Another organization working to keep these memories alive is the Canadian Battlefields Foundation. Founded in 1992, this organization was established for the purpose of educating and actively promoting public awareness of Canada's role in World War II, and has since broadened its mandate to teach the public about Canada's role in other conflicts of the 20th century as well.
Among the foundation's many projects is the Canadian Memorial Garden in Caen, near Normandy, opened by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien in 1995, which is meant to commemorate all Canadians who fought in the Second World War.
The foundation has also created a "Route of Honour," which is literally a roadmap of notable Canadian battle sites in Europe, the North Atlantic, Hong Kong and Burma. Many of these sites are identified with a commemorative plaque.
Perhaps the most important function of the foundation is not their imprint on the physical landscape but, rather, their efforts to keep the memory of Canada's contributions alive for the next generations. In that regard, delegations are led each year to the different battle sites so that young Canadians can be informed about the tremendous contributions Canada has made. In 1997, our own Senator Duffy worked in concert with the foundation to create a video to also help educate young Canadians.
Honourable senators, Canada possesses a rich military history in world events. Organizations such as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Canadian Battlefields Foundation play a crucial role in keeping this history alive and in helping Canadians and others appreciate our contributions to world peace and security. We commend these organizations for their valuable contributions to Canada.