Veterans Affairs Canada - Press Speeches Feed

Support our Troops - A Christmas Breakfast

2009-12-23T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you.

And good morning,
Honoured Veterans,
Members of the Canadian Forces,
Family and staff,
Other distinguished guests,
Mesdames et Messieurs.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It is an honour to be with you this morning to pay tribute to the men and women who have always stood up for Canada, and those who are still protecting us from so far away from home this holiday season.

It is at times like this that we understand how truly blessed our nation is to have so many courageous Canadians willing to sacrifice everything so that we can live in peace and freedom.

Many of the men and women here at Ridgewood know what it is like to be overseas at Christmas. They know what it is like to miss birthdays and wedding anniversaries. And they know what it is like to long for loved ones half a world away.

Christmas and Hanukkah are particularly difficult times of the year for our military families. The distance and time apart.

These holidays are supposed to be about peace on earth and goodwill to man. And yet, we remember the almost 2,000 Canadians who endured 18 days of terrible fighting in the Battle of Hong Kong in December 1941. How they had too few supplies and no backup before finally surrendering to the relentless Japanese attacks on Christmas Day.

We remember our Canadians who were in Ortona on Christmas Day 1943, trying to liberate Italy from tyranny and oppression. Trying to restore peace and freedom.

This is what nations around the world think of when they see our Red Maple Leaf, or when they see "Canada" on a brave soldier's uniform.

They know that when the cause is just--when the cause is right--Canadians will be there.

When the world calls, Canada answers. Because that is the Canadian way.

It always has been, and it always will be.

Thousands of Canadian soldiers are answering the world's call this holiday season. They are serving in some of the world's most troubled places. Places like Afghanistan.

And we are thinking of them.

We are thinking of their families.

And we are thinking of those who have lost loved ones.

The young children who will wake up this Christmas without a mother or with a father so far away.

The husbands and wives with a side of the bed still made.
The mothers and fathers who have set an empty place at the family's dinner table.

We cannot begin to express our own sadness for such sacrifice.
We cannot begin to express our gratitude for such service.
And we cannot begin to fully repay the debt we owe to so many remarkable men and women.

But we remember. We will never forget that this country we love was built by generations of ordinary men and women doing truly extraordinary things.

And that is why we are here this morning.

To let our Veterans know we still remember.

To let our men and women in uniform know that we are thinking of them.

To let their families know that they have our support.

They have earned the right to be called our nation's truest heroes.

Thank you. Merci.

Happy holidays and I wish everyone a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Thank You to Berardi Family
Casa Berardi

2009-12-02T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Colonel Berardi,

Grazia Tanto. (Thank you very much.)

Thank you for welcoming us to beautiful Casa Berardi.

Thank you for allowing us to pay tribute to Captain Triquet and all the Canadians who fought here so bravely.

And, most of all, thank you for your dedication in remembering their sacrifice.

Your words here this morning have touched us all very deeply.

By sharing your memories with us, you have helped us to understand the tragic horrors that war brought to your doorstep-to your home-and the remarkable heroes who brought you freedom, some of whom are with us today.

With your stories, you've reminded us of how Canadian courage and determination won the day.

And with our time here, we realize-more than ever-the great debt we owe to you and to your family.

You and your family have preserved this solemn land and its stories for generations to come. And you have done so as more than just mere custodians of our shared history.

You have been true friends to Canada. True friends. And you are like family to every Canadian who passes here, through your home.

On behalf of all my colleagues, the Parliamentarians who are with us today, and most importantly all Canadians, we thank you for your sincere and unending gratitude.

And most of all, we thank you for your Gift of Remembrance. We do appreciate what you have done.

Noi Di Ciamo Grazia. (We thank you very much.)

Ceremony of Remembrance
Price of Peace Monument

2009-12-01T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Simonetta.

And good morning. Bonjour. Bon giorno.

Ambassador (James) Fox,
Mayor (Nicola) Fratino,
Signoretta (Francesca) La Sorda,
Honoured Veterans,
Fellow Parliamentarians:
Senator (Michael) Meighen
Senator (Willie) Moore
MP Rob Oliphant
MP Guy Andre
MP Peter Stoffer
Other distinguished guests,
Students and staff from CCI, the Renaissance School,
Youth delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mesdames et messieurs.

It is truly an honour to be with you today in a town that will forever hold a special place in Canada's history.

And to be in a town that represents the enduring bonds between two great countries.

Ortona is where Canadian courage and determination came together in a truly remarkable victory--in a grim and costly victory earned against almost impossible odds.

It is also a place where Italy suffered some of its greatest devastation--a place where, as one historian put it, the central square was "turned into a killing ground."

By the time the nine days of fighting were over, Ortona was in ruins.

Even the town's great cathedral had been blown up by the retreating Germans. Death and destruction were everywhere.

And the price of our victory can be seen just a short distance away--where almost 1,400 Canadians lie buried.

This monument before us, a joint effort between our two countries, is a powerful and lasting reminder of the terrible loss our nations suffered more than 65 years ago.

Called "the Price of Peace," it is a lasting reminder that freedom is not free.

And, most of all, this monument is a reminder of our sacrifice.

We have, over the past few days, learned about things like troop sizes, battle tactics, tanks and divisions, and the latest military equipment of the day. But gathered here, we understand that the success of the Italian campaign truly depended on only one thing: our men and women, Canada's soldiers--some of whom are with us today.

We are very honoured you are with us today.

You were the difference between victory and defeat.
You-and all the friends and comrades you represent--were the difference between winning and losing.

And history cannot begin to tell your story.

History cannot begin to describe the endless days of untold courage.

History cannot begin to capture the countless individual acts of heroism that won the day.

That is why you have travelled here, that is why we have travelled here. Because you have not forgotten and we have not forgotten.

You have not forgotten your solemn commitment to remember those men and women who did not return home with you.

You vowed to keep alive their memory-and you have kept their memory alive.

Sixty-five years later, you still remember your commitment to them. Your promise to them.

Because as we've made our way through Italy-as we've stopped to lay the wreaths, to observe the silence, and to reflect in the quiet of our own thoughts and prayers--I believe, and so do you, that the voices of your fallen comrades can be heard softly over the march of time. And they are saying, "thank you."

Thank you for your Gift of Remembrance.

Lest we forget.

Thank you. Merci.

Commemorative Ceremony at Cassino Memorial (Sicily)

2009-11-29T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Simonetta.
And good morning. Bonjour. Bon giorno.
Ambassador Fox,
Mayor Scittarelli,
Honoured Veterans,
Fellow Parliamentarians:
Senator Moore,
MP Rob Oliphant,
MP Guy Andre,
MP Peter Stoffer,
Other distinguished guests,
Youth delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mesdames et messieurs.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

In the year 1943--66 years ago--the free world could finally see hope on the horizon.

After four bleak and often desperate years, the world could see the war effort turning in our favour. The Allied favour.

But questions remained:

How could we press our growing advantage?
How could we relieve some of the pressure on the Russian front?
And where could we start the invasion of mainland Europe?

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's answer sounded simple enough. Prime Minister Churchill was straight forward. He wanted to strike at the "soft belly of the crocodile."

Six and a half decades later, we know that Italy was no "soft belly." When the first Canadians landed on Sicily, at Marza beach, it marked the beginning of the longest-and most brutal-ground campaign of the Second World War.

For 38 treacherous days, our Canadian and allied forces endured some of the worst conditions possible: they marched over roads filled with landmines; they advanced under heavy mortar fire; and they climbed for hours up steep cliffs--only to be greeted with some of the bloodiest fighting of the Second World War.

And all the time, there was no escaping the oppressive heat, the choking dust or the tropical diseases that ravaged their tired bodies.

As one Canadian war correspondent reported: "Sicily is a dirty business."

The suffering was everywhere.

Our Nursing Sisters-including Betty Brown who told us a compelling story yesterday--arrived on Sicily with no extra clothes or supplies because enemy subs had sunk three of our ships. And soon after, a dozen Nursing Sisters were wounded when the No. 5 Canadian General Hospital was hit by an anti-aircraft shell.

And yet, our men and women prevailed--"on instinct and courage."

As we retrace your steps in Italy, I am sure some of you wish we could return to Sicily to honour your fallen comrades. To stand on the sacred ground where they lie buried today, not far from where they fell: 562 Canadians who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. For our way of life. For all of us.

But those of you who were there in 1943 you know the distance to the island and you know Sicily better than any of us. You know how difficult such a journey would be. And you know that it is equally fitting that we remember them here this morning--at our first event.

The names of more than 4,000 Commonwealth soldiers-including 194 Canadians--are etched on this memorial's pillars of green marble: a lasting reminder of those soldiers who have no known graves.

We will never forget these brave men.

They were our finest.

They were young Canadians full of hope and promise.

Driven by dreams for a future they would never see.

They sacrificed everything in war so that we might live in peace.

That is what we remember here this morning: our proud tradition of answering when the world calls, because that is the Canadian way. Was then, and is today.

And of course we remember the tragic truth that freedom is not free. That freedom has never been free. It has come at a very high price to our country, and to every community across Canada-from our smallest villages to our largest cities. Every community has paid a price for that freedom.

Our presence here this morning is our nation's way of expressing its gratitude.
It is our way of remembering the heroic acts of bravery some 66 summers ago.

It is our way of remembering the sacrifice on Sicily.

And it is our way of saying thank you to our nation's truest heroes.

Lest we forget.

Ceremony of Remembrance at Cassino War Cemetery

2009-11-29T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Simonetta.
And good morning. Bonjour. Bon giorno.

Ambassador Fox,
Mayor Scittarelli,
Very Reverend Father Abbott Vittorelli,
Honoured Veterans,
Fellow Parliamentarians:
Senator Moore
MP Rob Oliphant
MP Guy Andre
MP Peter Stoffer
Other distinguished guests,
Youth delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mesdames et messieurs.

Before I go any further I want to congratulate our youth delegates, Nolan Hill and Melanie Morin, on the tremendous job they did with their presentations on two Canadians who died in the Sicily campaign. You did great honour to our Veterans.

The horror and tragedy of war seems very far away as we gather here in the silent beauty of this sacred place.

And yet, this morning, we can feel our nation's great loss as fresh and deeply as when the 855 brave Canadians were laid to rest here.

This morning, we truly understand the price of freedom. We can actually see the price of freedom--and it is marked with each headstone.

This is why we have travelled so far from home:

To remember.
And to honour the courageous men who lie buried here.
To honour the brothers-in-arms who, more than 65 years ago, were united by their love of country, their willingness to serve, and their unwavering sense of purpose.

They gave their precious young lives fighting to breach the "Gustav Line," the formidable German defensive line on which we now stand, and the "Hitler Line" nearby.

And, as we mourn our fallen, we find ourselves also remembering the losses of our Italian hosts:

The more than 60,000 Italians who perished in this area alone;
How the town of Cassino was virtually destroyed;
And how it rebuilt from the ground up.

Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King understood the terrible cost of war--and the only reason for paying that terrible cost:

"A world at peace," the Prime Minister said, "A world at peace is the only memorial worthy of the valour and the sacrifice of all who gave their lives."

We stand here surrounded by such valour and sacrifice--in peace and in freedom.

And we will never forget. Each headstone in this cemetery represents a story-a human story, of loss and sorrow.

As we walk softly among the endless rows, we will learn a little bit about each one of those stories--stories filled with valour and sacrifice.

We will read the family names on the headstones. And, inevitably, our eyes will fall upon the ages of those who lie buried here. Walking in, I saw many of you doing this. Their ages: 19 years of age. 21 years of age. 18 years of age. 20 years of age. Some were even younger. Why? Because they doctored their ages to serve their country.

As I have said when we've visited other cemeteries like this one, I often wonder: Who was the last person to say out loud the names of those fallen soldiers? Did their family names die with them? Was the young man buried at my feet an only son? Or the last brother? Or the husband of a young bride that never remarried? When was the last time their names were spoken?

We can help undo this passage of time-simply by speaking their names again.

I hope that while we are here, each of you will have the chance to do that. That you will speak their names, and help repay our debt to the courageous men and women who have sacrificed everything so that we might live in peace. So that we might live in freedom.

Lest we forget.

Thank you. Merci.

Canada Remembers the Italian Campaign - Send-off Event

2009-11-27T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Suzanne.

And good morning. Bonjour.
Honoured Veterans.
President McLellan.
Fellow Parliamentarians:
Senator (Michael) Meighen
Senator (Willie) Moore
MP Rob Oliphant (Don Valley West in Toronto)
MP Guy Andre (Berthier-Maskinonge in Quebec)
MP Peter Stoffer (Sackville Eastern Shore in Nova Scotia)
Other distinguished guests.
Students and youth delegates.
Ladies and gentlemen.
Mesdames et messieurs.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

Today, our nation begins a very important journey. A journey of honour and gratitude for so many remarkable Canadians. Truly remarkable Canadians. And it will be a very difficult journey for them.

For the next week, we will not only travel to some of the 3,500 Italian place names where Canadians served in the Second World War; we will also travel through time--on an emotional journey of remembrance.

It is fitting, therefore, that we begin here in Toronto--in a city with the largest Italian population outside of Italy.

And it is fitting that we are joined by students from Leaside High School, because this journey is about making sure future generations never forget what Canada accomplished on the battlefields of Italy--and what our nation sacrificed. We must never forget what was won in that campaign-or the terrible price we paid for that victory in Italy.

This is our mission as we mark the 65th anniversary of the Italian Campaign-an epic 20-month struggle that has still often been called "the Forgotten Campaign."

While we all know about D-Day, too few Canadians realize that it was our efforts in Sicily--and at Dieppe a year earlier--that paved the way for our success on the shores of Normandy.

Perhaps some of the blame in terms of the inaccuracy or thoroughness of history rests with Lady Astor, the British parliamentarian who mistakenly referred to our allied troops in Italy as "D-Day Dodgers."

As if they had chosen to fight in Italy to avoid the invasion at Normandy.

But Lady Astor couldn't have been more wrong.

History has recorded many of the great and tragic details about the Italian campaign. Let's remind ourselves how difficult that campaign was:

How 93,000 Canadians served in the Italian campaign;
How the landing at Sicily still stands as the largest amphibious invasion the world has ever seen;
And after 20 months of fighting it proved to be the longest ground campaign of the Second World War;
How three Canadians earned the Victoria Cross in that campaign;
And how 6,000 Canadians made the supreme sacrifice in Italy-our greatest loss in any one country during the Second World War.

This is a very sobering reminder to all of us.

All these facts can be checked. They can be confirmed. But they cannot begin to tell the whole story.

Mere words cannot describe what our troops endured:
The brutal, inhumane conditions they braved-day after day for that 20 months;
The oppressive heat and choking dust of Sicily;
The exhaustion of marching through heavily fortified mountains;
The floods and mud in the north;
The rampant diseases;
And, of course, the bitter, hand-to-hand combat-fighting Germany's best soldiers, in their strongest divisions, with the latest equipment.

We are blessed to have four Veterans going to Italy with us who know the whole story.

Who served alongside courageous men and women from across Canada.

And who will provide first-hand accounts, like a window on our past.

I want to thank each one of them for making this difficult journey with us:
Henry Beaudry,
Betty Brown,
Roly Demers,
And David Morton.

I also want to thank William Miller for joining us as a navy Veteran from the Second World War, and Ron Griffis as a Canadian Forces Veteran.

And I want to thank Gordon Marsh, Robert Ross and Patricia Varga for being with us to represent some of our major Veterans organizations.

We also have two youth delegates travelling with us-Nolan Hill from Calgary and Mélanie Morin from Drummond, New Brunswick, just north of where I live.

The five MPs and senators with us today are also going to Italy-as are four talented journalists. And we thank them for coming to bring the story to the Canadian people.

Together, our delegation will walk on some of the same streets where Canadians fell.

We will walk among the headstones belonging to the youth of another generation.

And we will remember them by reading their names aloud.

By running our fingers over letters carved in granite.

By thinking of dreams unfulfilled.

By remembering lives lost.

And by remembering families torn apart by their sacrifice.

Communities forever changed by war. And a country made great by a generation of ordinary Canadians who truly did extraordinary things.

To all those who served--some of whom are with us today, and to those who never returned home--we want to tell you, "We will remember you. You have not been forgotten."

We remember you. We remember your heroic efforts throughout Italy.

And we thank you. We thank you for your service. And we thank you for allowing us to live in the best country in the world.

Lest we forget.

Thank you. Merci.

Outreach Campaign for Homeless Veterans

2009-11-24T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Robert
And good morning/bonjour to my parliamentary colleagues:
Royal Galipeau
And Jacques Gourde

Captain Johnston,
Mr. O'Conner,
Ken Lewenza, Bruce Dickie and Tullio DiPonti of the Canadian Auto Workers,
France Desjardins,
Cyrile Morgan,
Serge Lareault,
Matthew Pearce,
Veterans' Ombudsman, Pat Stogran,
Honoured Veterans,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mesdames et Messieurs,

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

I've said it many times, and it is worth repeating this morning: We live in the best country in the world, and we owe much of it--if not all of it--to the remarkable men and women who have always been there to serve Canada.

There is no doubt about that.
No disputing it.

We are a blessed nation.
A free and proud and strong nation.

But our way of life has come at a great price to our Veterans and the men and women in uniform today.
They have witnessed horrors and they have endured hardships that few of us here can imagine.
They have struggled with the invisible cost of war--the invisible cost of their service.
And, in generations past, they have suffered in silence.
Their families have suffered in silence.

If there is any comfort, it is in knowing that we-as a nation-are doing more than ever before to help our Veterans deal with these emotional wounds-to deal with the psychological scars that have come with their difficult and dangerous missions.

We've been developing and expanding the kind of programs that can make a real and lasting difference for them.
Initiatives like our operational stress injury clinics and our peer-support programs are not just changing lives-they are saving lives.

We know that for a fact.
Veterans are telling us that.
They are getting the help they need.

But we also know that there may be some men and women who, for any number of reasons, are not getting all the help they could.

If there are Veterans living on our streets, it is our national duty to find them. And to help them.
Because even one homeless hero would be one too many.

That's why our government has made it a priority to work with community groups on the ground.
We've been reaching out to hundreds of homeless shelters, food banks, soup kitchens and other social agencies to get their help tracking down any Veterans who could use our help.
To identify any Veterans who need our help.

We've set up a drop-in centre with our partners in Vancouver.
We've seen our Veterans Ombudsman waging his own campaign called "Leave Nobody Behind."
And today, we are going a step further-right here.

Today, we are taking our efforts directly to the streets of Montreal--by working with so many remarkable individuals and groups.

The newest measures we are helping to announce today will see us reaching out to homeless men and women where they live--on the streets of Montreal.
In doing so, we will be reaching out to any Veterans who may be living on the margins and to any Veterans who are in danger of living on the street.

There are so many people who deserve the credit for making this possible.
I want to thank the Wounded Warriors and the Canadian Auto Workers for their extraordinary generosity. They saw the need for reliable transportation to visit the different local shelters and, together, they have donated a Canadian-made Ford Flex to the mission.

The Wounded Warriors have also donated money to an emergency fund to provide help to any Veterans in immediate need.

Thank you Captain Johnston, Mr. Lewenza and everyone else with your teams for what you've done--and what you are doing.

I also want to thank the members of our Operational Stress Injury Social Support program--or what we call OSISS.

You, more than anyone else, understand what these vulnerable men and women are going through. What they have suffered.
In so many ways, you have walked in their shoes.
You have experienced the great and tragic price of your service.
The trauma.
And yet, you willingly risk re-opening your own wounds each time you reach out to help another Veteran.
That is truly remarkable.
And truly deserving of our gratitude.

And, of course, there are so many other groups here-so many other great partners-who deserve their own credit for making these efforts possible:

The Old Brewery Mission,
la Maison du Pere,
l'Itineraire,
and the Welcome Hall Mission.

You are the people with the years of experience and expertise in helping those who need it the most.
You have earned their trust.
You are the familiar faces on the streets.
And you are the ones making a difference--every day.

Today, you are taking on a new mission.
A mission to find and take care of the remarkable men and women who have always taken such great care of us.

Together, we can make sure we are fully repaying the debt we owe to our nation's truest heroes.

Lest we forget.
Merci. Thank you.

Veterans' Week 2009
Historica-Dominion Institute Encounters with Canada - Wartime Supper

2009-11-11T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Derek.
And good afternoon Linda (Brunet),
Invited guests,
Students.

Thank you everyone for the chance to share this wartime supper with you.

This is a fitting way to end one of the most important days of the year.
And a fitting way to end Veterans' Week.

Over the last seven days, Canadians across our country have been taking the time to remember.
They have been taking the time to say thank you to the men and women who have always been there for our great country.
And they've been taking the time to honour our nation's truest heroes.

I know that you have been doing that here this week, too.

You have taken the time to learn about our remarkable history.
You have taken the time to discover the importance of monuments like the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier, the Aboriginal Veterans War Memorial and the Peacekeepers' Monument.

You've had the chance to listen to people like Major-General Lew MacKenzie, who had a distinguished 35-year career with the Canadian Forces and who is a very compelling speaker.

And you've heard the heart-wrenching stories about the physical, mental and emotional cost that war can take on our men and women in uniform.

By doing all of this, you have kept faith with our Veterans.
You are helping to make sure that future generations will remember the great debt we owe to our Veterans.
And you have given our Veterans the greatest gift of all: The Gift of Remembrance.

This isn't just the right thing that you have done.
This is an essential part of what it means to be Canadian.
It is part of our solemn duty-our national responsibility-to honour what generations of Canadians have done for us.
Because they are why we live in such a blessed nation.
They are why we live in peace today.
Why we live in a free and democratic country.
They are why we live in the best country in the world.

We owe it to our Veterans, their families and our men and women serving today to remember their great achievements. And their great sacrifice.

A British Poet by the name of John Maxwell Edmonds captured all of this when he was writing from the front lines of the First World War. When he was describing the sacrifice of those who never came home:
"When you go home," he wrote, "when you go home, tell them of us and say, 'For your tomorrow, we gave our today.'"

This week that you have spent here in Ottawa, this day you have commemorated, and this meal we will share tonight-these are all part of the "tomorrow" that our Veterans gave up their today for.

I want to thank the Historica-Dominion Institute and its Encounters with Canada Program for organizing all of this. For organizing all of the activities you've participated in this week.

The way Canada has answered the world's call for help has changed over the years. It has evolved with time.
And so has our mission of remembrance.

The things you've learned this week, the workshops you'll participate in tomorrow, and the new technologies and communication tools available to us mean there are many innovative ways to remember.

There are no longer any limits for your imagination.

We are now able, for example, to post our feelings to a blog, or share our creative writing online.

You can connect with friends around the world using e-mail and social networking.

And what matters most is that we do take the time to remember.
That you do take the time to remember that freedom is not free.
That freedom has never been free.

It has come at a great and terrible cost to our country.
A price paid throughout our largest cities and smallest villages. And a loss felt in every community across Canada.

So many of our finest young men and women have risked everything dear to them-everything they loved-so that we might see a better tomorrow.

While you were on your tour of the war memorials in downtown Ottawa, I'm sure you saw the statues of the Valiants-and maybe you noticed Virgil's quote inscribed on the wall.
It reads: "No day will ever erase you from the memory of time."

I hope you will always remember your time here this week.
I hope you will always remember what you've learned here.
And I hope you will bring your stories home to share with your families, your friends and your communities.

You are the tomorrow our Veterans fought for.
You are the future our men and women in uniform are protecting today.

You can make it mean everything.
You can make a real difference.
And you can make our Veterans proud.
Lest we forget.
Thank you. Merci.

Ceremony of Remembrance
Korea Veterans Association of Canada

2009-11-10T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Roger (Beauregard, master of ceremonies).

And good evening/bonjour
Your Excellency, Colonel Kim,
General Belzile,
Honoured Veterans of the Korean War,
Other distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mesdames et messieurs.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

Tonight, two great countries half-a-world away from each other could not be closer.
Tonight, our two nations are drawn together by a shared history. By the enduring bonds of friendship.
And tonight, we are united by our pride and gratitude for our nations' truest heroes.

Almost six decades ago, the United Nations came to Korea's aid with a multinational force, and Canada responded in numbers far exceeding the world's expectations.
Because that is the Canadian way.
When the world calls, Canada answers.
We always have. And we always will.

More than 26,000 Canadians left the comfort of their homes and the arms of their loved ones to serve in a distant land that so few of them had ever seen.
And when the Armistice was signed, 7,000 Canadians continued to serve in our proud tradition of peacekeeping.

On land, in the air, and on the sea, courageous Canadians were willing to risk everything to defend our shared way of life.
And 516 of them did pay the ultimate sacrifice
516 of Canada's finest sons and daughters gave their lives to defend our way of life. To protect our shared values of Freedom. Democracy. And the rule of law.

People like Private Curtis Hayes, who never lived to see the twins his "girl" Jenny Lee gave birth to shortly after he had shipped out to Korea.

Or Pat O'Connor, a stretcher bearer who wrote, the night before he gave his life tending to our wounded: "May their names live in glory forever, and their souls in Heaven above."

These are the stories that remind us that Freedom is not Free. That Freedom has never been free.
It has come at a great and terrible price to our nation.
A price that Canadians are still paying.
And a price that has been felt in every community across our country-from our largest cities to our smallest villages.

Tonight, we remember the men and women who laid down their lives in the Korean War. For many, the United Nations Memorial Cemetery is their final resting place.

They are buried a long way from home, but each of us knows that they are never far from our hearts.

That's why we have gathered here tonight.
That is why you have come here on this November evening: to keep faith with our fallen heroes.
To honour their courage and to remember their sacrifice.

We are humbled by their service and grateful for their achievements.
And, in return, we offer the only two words we have: thank you.
Thank you for allowing us to live in the best country in the world.

Lest we forget.

Thank you. Merci.

The Spirit of Remembering Project: 65th Anniversary of the Italian Campaign

2009-11-10T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you,
Merci Madame Amato and
Good morning Consul General Picheca.
Honoured Veterans,
Distinguished guests,
Veterans,
Staff and students of John Paul I High School.

Bon giorno,
Bonjour,
Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It is great to be here today and to see such a truly impressive example of Remembrance. Everyone here at John Paul I High School should be proud of what you have accomplished.

Because this is what Veterans Week is all about.
It's about bringing our youth and our Veterans together so that we can make sure the Torch of Remembrance keeps burning brightly for generations to come.

And, as we mark Veterans' Week, it is appropriate that Veterans from the Italian campaign are here with us.

Because this week is also about making sure Canadians remember the great debt we owe to the men and women who have served our country-and too often Canada's heroic efforts in the Italian campaign have been overshadowed by other battles.

Some of you may know the story of Lady Astor. She was a British Parliamentarian who made the unfortunate mistake of describing the troops who marched through Italy as D-Day Dodgers. As if they had chosen to fight in Italy to avoid the great invasion at Normandy a year later.
She couldn't have been more wrong.
Nothing could have been further from the truth.

History has recorded many of the remarkable facts about the Italian campaign:

How 93,000 Canadians served in the Italian campaign;
How the landing at Sicily still stands as the largest amphibious invasion the world has ever seen;
How the 20 months of fighting was the longest ground campaign of the Second World War;
And how more than 5,900 Canadians made the supreme sacrifice in Italy-our greatest losses in any one country during the Second World War.

These are all well known facts, but they don't begin to tell the full story.

Mere words cannot describe what our troops endured:
The brutal, inhumane conditions they braved-day after day;
The oppressive heat and choking dust of Sicily.
The exhaustion of marching through heavily fortified mountains.
The floods and mud in the north.
The rampant diseases.
And, of course, the bitter, hand-to-hand combat-fighting Germany's best soldiers, in their strongest divisions, with the latest equipment.

And the question I keep asking myself is how did our Canadian men and women survive such brutal hardship?
What kept them going?

And each time, the answer comes back to one word: Hope.
Our Veterans came from a country they loved and wanted to return to.
They believed in a free world and the mission.
And, most importantly, they'd made a solemn promise to their loved ones that they would come home-no matter what.

That is why our soldiers prevailed.
And, in doing so, they distinguished themselves.
They showed the world that Canada has always had the best soldiers.

It's also important to remember that our Veterans' contributions did not end on the battlefields.

They came home and started businesses.
They went to work.
They raised families.
They became leaders in their communities.
And they made the Canada we know today.
They made Canada great.

That is the remarkable story of our Veterans.

We live in a blessed nation and we owe much of it-if not all of it-to so many ordinary men and women who have done truly extraordinary things.

It is now our duty never to forget them.

It is our shared duty never to take for granted the peace and freedom they have given us.

To all of you, the students and teachers of John Paul I High School, your presence here today reflects our nation's unending gratitude.

Your presence here marks a keeping of faith with our Veterans.

And, most of all, your presence here today represents the greatest gift we can give these remarkable men and women: the gift of remembrance.

Il ricordo dei caduti in guerra.

N'oublions jamais.

Lest we forget.

Merci. Thank you.

Camp Hill Candlelight Ceremony

2009-11-09T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you.
And good evening. Bonjour.
Your Honour,
Premier Dexter,
Fellow parliamentarians:
Peter Stoffer
Megan Leslie
Mayor Kelly,
Honoured Veterans,
Rear-Admiral Maddison,
Brigadier-General Neasmith,
Distinguished guests,
Families and friends,
Ladies and gentlemen.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It is great to be back at Camp Hill And it is an honour to be surrounded here by so many remarkable Canadians who have helped to build this great country.

You stepped forward to serve Canada during her times of greatest need.
You were willing to sacrifice everything to defend our way of life.
And, in doing so, you endured the brutal inhumanities of war. You witnessed the loss of so many young lives--on a scale that none of us can imagine.

And, for too many Canadians, these memories still haunt them after so many years.
Their suffering has not ended. The horrors still linger.
And they remind us that the full cost of war is not limited to those Canadians buried overseas. The full cost of war lives on from generation to generation. And it continues to be paid today.

For many of us here, we grew up with the children of that generation of soldier.
Children who grew up in families with fathers that struggled with the invisible cost of war.
Children brought up by parents who suffered in silence.

And what is truly astonishing is that even those who endured such hardships, even those who still bear the emotional scars of war, came home to build this country.

Their contributions--your contributions--did not end on the battlefields.

Veterans like you here tonight came home and started businesses.
You started families.
You went to work.
You paid your taxes.
And you made the Canada we know today.
You made Canada great.

You have been our nation's leaders. Our role models. And an inspiration to all Canadians--young and old.

Ceremonies like this allow us the chance to say thank you. They allow us to remember the great debt we owe to you, our Veterans, and the debt we owe to the men and women who continue to serve Canada.

Each one of you has made a difference.
A real and lasting difference.
And we are humbled by this opportunity to be with you.

It has been said that a country is built on the service and sacrifice of its heroes, and Canada is a perfect example. You are a perfect example.

We truly live in the best country and we owe much of it, if not all of it, to the men and women who have always been there for us.

The ordinary men and women who have accomplished extraordinary things.
The men and women who have earned the right to be called our nation's truest heroes.

This is your proud tradition. When the world calls, Canada answers. Because that is the Canadian way. Always has been. Always will be.

And it is a tradition that continues today--with our courageous Canadians who are serving in Afghanistan and other troubled spots around the world.

Tonight, we light candles symbolizing our never-ending gratitude to all the brave men and women who have served Canada, who have defended our shared values of Freedom. Democracy. And the rule of law.

We send our prayers to those who continue to serve.
And we send our prayers to their proud families who await their safe return.

Thank you for lighting our way.
Thank you for keeping us free.
And thank you for making Canada the best country in the world.

Lest we forget.
Merci. Thank you

The Memory Project
Recognizing the One-Millionth Student to Hear Stories

2009-11-07T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Jeremy (Diamond, master of ceremonies)
And good afternoon
Andrew (Cohen, President of the Historica-Dominion Institute),
Marc (Chalifoux, Executive Vice-President, Historica-Dominion Institute),
Mr. McRae and our other honoured Veterans,
Canadian Forces members,
Cadets,
Teachers,
Ladies and gentlemen.

It's an honour to be here today to mark such an important milestone in the re-telling of our proud history.
To celebrate the one-millionth student to hear the stories of our Veterans from the Memory Project.

There are so many people who deserve credit for this remarkable accomplishment. But it all started with Veterans Grant McRae and John Kirkpatrick, two men who had the vision to preserve our history-one story at a time.

Thank you Grant, and I'm sorry John is not able to be with us here today.

Of course, the Memory Project's Speakers Bureau never would have happened if Veterans didn't step forward again.
It never could have happened without Veterans who were willing to tell their stories to young Canadians across our country.

By taking the time to share your personal-and sometimes very private-stories of war, you have made sure that future generations will remember the great debt we owe to you, and to all Veterans.

Most importantly, you are helping to make sure that Canadians never forget your friends and your comrades who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our way of life.

Through your efforts, Canadians understand more clearly that freedom is not free. That freedom has never been free.
It comes with a great and terrible price-a price that has been paid by too many of Canada's finest men and women.
I also want to thank the teachers and students who have accepted our solemn duty to learn our history, and to keep the Torch of Remembrance burning brightly.

And, finally, I want to thank the Historica-Dominion Institute for its leadership in making this all possible.
You have made our history real and you have brought it to life in ways that all Canadians can understand.

That is something worth celebrating, and it is something our government is proud to be supporting-because, at the end of the day, the greatest gift we can give our Veterans is the Gift of Remembrance.

Through the dedication and the commitment of everyone in this room today, you are sharing that gift. With truly impressive results:

More than 1,500 Veterans from across our country have volunteered their time visiting classrooms and community groups.
And today, one million young Canadians have heard these fascinating stories.

Thanks to the Memory Project, we are raising a new generation of Canadians who know their past and are proud to promote it.

British historian Sir Llewellyn Woodward once said:

"History itself touches only a small part of a nation's life. Most of the activities and sufferings of the people ... have been and will remain . . . without written record."

Our Veterans have never sought the headlines, but they have written the true story of Canada.

On behalf of the prime minister, our government and all Canadians, I would like to thank our Veterans, the Memory Project and the million young people who have continued to share that story. To share the unwritten, remarkable and inspiring story of Canada.

Lest we forget.

Now, if Grant McRae and Rachel Jean would please come forward, I would like to present you with these certificates: One to Grant in recognition of your many great contributions to Canada, and the other to Rachel, who symbolically represents the one million youngsters who have listened to these important stories from our past.

Veterans' Week Official Launch

2009-11-06T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you.

And good morning. Bonjour.
Speaker Kinsella,
Speaker Milliken,
Fellow Parliamentarians,
Honoured Veterans,
General Natynczyk and Members of the Canadian Forces,
RCMP Commissioner Elliott,
Elder Lacroix,
Padre Cherwick,
Other distinguished guests,
Mesdames et Messieurs.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It is truly an honour to be here this morning.
To be part of such a fitting tribute to the men and women who have always been there for Canada.
And to be surrounded by so many truly remarkable Canadians.

As we launch Veterans' Week, it is appropriate that Veterans from the Italian campaign are here.
Veterans' Week is about making sure Canadians remember the great debt we owe to the men and women who have served our country--and too often Canada's heroic efforts in the Italian campaign have been overshadowed by other battles.

Lady Astor helped assure that when, with a terrible choice of words, she described the troops who marched through Italy as D-Day Dodgers.
Nothing could have been further from the truth.

History has recorded many of the facts:

How 93,000 Canadians served in the Italian campaign;
How the landing at Sicily still stands as the largest amphibious invasion the world has ever seen;
How the 20 months of fighting was the longest ground campaign of the Second World War;
And how more than 5,900 Canadians made the supreme sacrifice in Italy-our greatest losses in any one country during the Second World War.
These are all well known facts, but they don't begin to tell the full story.

Mere words cannot describe what you endured:
The brutal, inhumane conditions you braved--day after day;
The oppressive heat and choking dust of Sicily.
The exhaustion of marching through heavily fortified mountains.
The floods and mud in the north.
The rampant diseases.
And, of course, the bitter, hand-to-hand combat-fighting Germany's best soldiers, in their strongest divisions, with the latest equipment.

And the question I keep asking myself is how did our Canadian men and women survive such brutal hardship?
What kept them going?

That is why our Veterans--those of you who were there--that is why you prevailed.
And, in doing so, you distinguished yourselves.
You showed the world that Canada has always had the best soldiers.

These stories of the Italian campaign also remind us that the full cost of war is not limited to those Canadians buried overseas.
The full cost of war lives on from generation to generation. And it continues to be paid today.

Canadians like myself grew up with the children of this generation of soldier.
Children who grew up in families with fathers that struggled with the invisible cost of war.
Brought up by parents who suffered in silence.

What is truly astonishing is that even those who endured terrible hardships, even those who still bear the emotional scars of war, came home to build this country.

Their contributions did not end on the battlefields.

They came home and started businesses.
They pursued careers.
They went to work.
They paid their taxes.
They made the Canada we know today.
They made Canada great.

That is the remarkable story of our Veterans.

And when we are in their presence, when we are sitting at a table and sharing a meal with these once young soldiers-soldiers who are now in their twilight years--we realize these are not just ordinary Canadians.

As you watch a frail and arthritic hand break bread-just the way they look at their food before they eat it, the way they've never taken a meal for granted--you realize these men and women are different.
They are special.
They are our nation's truest heroes.

They never sought the headlines, but they wrote the true story of Canada.

Men and women like them are still writing that story today. The Canadian story.
They are still risking everything for us.
They are still paying the ultimate sacrifice to defend our way of life.

When we meet the families of our fallen soldiers from Afghanistan, our eyes are instinctively drawn to that tiny Silver Cross that tells the whole story: These families have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

And when our eyes meet their eyes, we can't help but wonder how pain and pride can co-exist, simultaneously, in one set of eyes. But they do.
And as we reach out to them-just a handshake is simply not enough. It will not cut it.
These are truly powerful moments.

Because we know that for anyone who has lost a loved one, the pain they bear is real and it never goes away.
For someone who has lost a loved one, every day is Remembrance Day.

And yet, amid such sacrifice, it is also true that--almost without exception-each one of these family members would tell you that if they were to do it over again, nothing would change:

They still believe in Canada.
They still believe in the mission.
And, most importantly, they loved and believed in their fallen sons and daughters, their fallen husbands and wives.

In the days ahead, we will gather at our cenotaphs and memorials.
The bugle will sound.
The pipes will blow.
We will lay the wreaths.
And we will observe the silence.

And during that time of reflection, we will thank them. We will remember.
And we will say a silent prayer for those who continue to serve.

Lest we forget.
Thank you. Merci.

Veterans' Week 2009
Minister's Statement

2009-11-05T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Today is one of those special days in this place when Members from all sides of this House will speak with one voice - and that is to honour those who have allowed us to live in the best country in the world.

There will be no disagreement and no debate.
There will be only one message: a sincere thank you to the generations of men and women who have worn our uniform.
Who have defended our way of life.
And who have made Canada strong and free and proud.

As we launch Veterans' Week, we think of the extraordinary contributions that ordinary Canadians have made in the two Great Wars, in Korea, on peacekeeping missions, on military operations, and in Afghanistan today. Missions that have distinguished our soldiers as the best in the world.

They are the best trained.
The most disciplined.
The most professional.
We live in a country blessed with peace; a country built on the values of generosity, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. And we owe much of it - if not all of it - to our men and women in uniform. Past and present.

In this place, Mr. Speaker, words are all we have to express our gratitude. To describe their sacrifice. But words fail to capture the brutal inhumanity of war and the tragic loss of so many young lives - on a scale that none of us can imagine. Words cannot describe the sacrifice on Vimy Ridge or at Beaumont Hamel; They cannot describe the horrors on the shores of Normandy, in the mountains of Italy, or in the Hills of Korea; They cannot capture the atrocities in Rwanda or Bosnia. And words alone cannot begin to tell the untold stories of Canadian bravery and determination.

In December of 1941, a valiant group of Canadians arrived in Hong Kong - with few supplies and no backup. Yet they stood in the face of relentless enemy attacks for 17 days.

And again, words cannot describe the cruelty that eventually led enemy soldiers to overrun a makeshift hospital and assault and murder nurses and bayonet our wounded soldiers in their hospital beds.

And this happened on Christmas Eve. These are actions that defy any level of human behavior. Even in war.

Our Canadian men and women still stood their ground with uncommon courage until the next day - until Christmas Day - when those still alive, those still standing, were taken prisoners of war.

But "Prisoner of War" does not begin to describe what happened to these young Canadians. It fails to describe the sheer torture and brutality they endured. The term "Prisoner of War" only proves that even in war, we sanitize the language.

These Canadians were forced to perform slave labour on a starvation diet. It was a prescription for death.

And what continues to amaze me is that some of our soldiers did walk out of those camps on Sept 9, 1945. After 1,355 days. Almost 2,000 men and women had sailed to Hong Kong and more than a quarter of them never returned home. Some of those who did survive had to be carried out - only to die on the voyage home.

Their story is worth retelling because after all these years - some 65 years later - many of the horrors stories from those camps remain untold.

The survivors of the Battle of Hong Kong still cannot and will not talk about everything that happened. Those still with us will occasionally share a story with each other, but they have never told their families, other loved ones or friends. The question I keep asking myself is how did these men and women - how could any human being - survive such suffering. What kept them going?

When you ask George Peterson, one of the men who did survive, who did walk out of those camps, he will use one word: he will tell you they lived on hope. They existed on hope.

They came from a country they loved and wanted to return to. They believed in a free world and the mission. And, most importantly, they'd made a solemn promise to their loved ones that they would come home - no matter what.

These stories remind us that the full cost of war is not limited to those Canadians buried overseas. The full cost of war lives on from generation to generation. And it continues to be paid today.

Mr. Speaker, you and I and many Members in this House grew up with the children of that generation of soldier. Children who grew up in families with fathers that struggled with the invisible cost of war. Brought up by parents who suffered in silence.

What is truly astonishing is that even those who endured such hardships, even those who still bear the emotional scars of war, came home to build this country.

Their contributions did not end on the battlefields. They came home and started businesses. They pursued careers. They went to work. They paid their taxes. They made the Canada we know today. They made Canada great.

That is the remarkable story of our Veterans. And when we are in their presence, when we are sitting at a table and sharing a meal with these once young soldiers who are now in their twilight years, we realize these are not just ordinary Canadians.

As you watch a frail and arthritic hand break bread - just the way they look at their food before they eat it, the way they've never taken a meal for granted -- you realize these men and women are different. They are special. They are our nation's truest heroes.

They never sought the headlines, but they wrote the true story of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, men and women like them are still writing that story today. The Canadian story. They are still risking everything to defend our way of life. And each one of us in this chamber knows it.

Every one of us in this chamber has met families of our fallen soldiers from Afghanistan. And when we are in their presence, our eyes are instinctively drawn to that tiny Silver Cross that tells the whole story: These families have paid the ultimate sacrifice

When your eyes meet their eyes, you can't help but wonder how pain and pride can co-exist, simultaneously, in one set of eyes. But they do. And as we reach out to them, just a handshake is simply not enough. It will not cut it.

These are truly powerful moments.

Because we know that for anyone who has lost a loved one, the pain they bear is real and it never goes away. As we've heard in this place so often, for someone who has lost a loved one, every day is Remembrance Day.

And yet, amid such sacrifice, it is also true that - almost without exception - each one of these family members would tell you that if they were to do it over again, nothing would change:

They still believe in Canada.
They still believe in the mission.
And, most importantly, they loved and believed in their fallen sons and daughters, their fallen husbands and wives.
In the next few days, all of us in this House will return to the towns and villages we represent.
We will go back to the men and women who sent us here.

And with them, we will gather at our cenotaphs and memorials.
The bugle will sound. The pipes will blow.
We will lay the wreaths.
And we will observe the silence.

And during that time of reflection, we will thank them. We will remember them. And we will say a silent prayer for those who continue to serve.

Lest we forget.
Thank you. Merci.

2009 Veterans' Week Vignette Launch

2009-10-30T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Peter.

And good morning
General Howard,
Honoured Veterans,
Members of the Canadian Forces,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mesdames et Messieurs.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

As we just saw with that message from Kandahar, we truly live in a blessed nation--a nation that is strong and free and proud. A nation built on our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

And we owe much of it--if not all of it--to men and women like you here today.
To men and women like you across our great country and overseas in some of the world's most dangerous places.

This Canada we love was built by generations of ordinary men and women doing truly extraordinary things.

It was built by the best soldiers in the world--past and present--who have been willing to step forward and serve during our times of greatest need.

By Canadians who have answered the world's call in the two Great Wars and in Korea. And by Canadians who have answered the call on every peacekeeping mission and military operation since.
Because that is the Canadian way. When the world calls, Canada answers. We always have. And we always will.

It is a tradition that our men and women in uniform bravely continue today in Afghanistan and other troubled places around the world.

And that is why we are here this morning.
To remember.
To honour.
And to express our gratitude to our nation's truest heroes.

As Veterans' Week approaches, our government is proud to express the appreciation of all Canadians through 60 powerful seconds of pictures, video, music and words.
In just one minute, the spirit of an entire nation is captured in a fitting tribute to so many remarkable men and women.

And, over the next two weeks, this vignette will air on televisions, on the Web and in public places all over the country.

With the vignette you are about to see, Canadians will be encouraged to stop and reflect on what our Veterans have accomplished.
What they have sacrificed.
And most importantly, Canadians will be encouraged to think about what we can do to truly remember them, to remember their families, and to remember the men and women in uniform today.

That is what matters most.
That we take the time to remember that freedom is not free.
That freedom has never been free.

The sad and tragic loss of Lieutenant Justin Garrett Boyes this week reminds us that our freedom has come at a terrible cost-at a price paid by Canada's finest sons and daughters, and by a nation that mourns with the loved ones left behind.

It is our duty never to forget them. Because, in the end, that is all our Veterans really ask of us.

Our Veterans do not seek glory or honour--because that is already theirs.

They seek only remembrance-for the comrades who never returned home with them.
For the men and women they vowed never to forget.

This vignette we are officially premiering today reflects our nation's unending gratitude.
It keeps faith with our heroes.
And it gives to our Veterans the greatest gift of all: The gift of Remembrance.

So let's watch. And let's remember.
Lest we forget.

Thank you. Merci.

65th Anniversary of the Department of Veterans Affairs

2009-10-26T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Mike.

And good morning
Lieutenant Governor Hagerman,
Premier Ghiz,
Mayor Lee,
Honoured Veterans,
Superintendent Robar,
Lieutenant Colonel Walsh,
Other distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen.

It's an honour to be here this morning to mark such a special milestone for Veterans Affairs Canada--and such a special milestone in this Department's proud history of caring for our nation's truest heroes.

There are few callings in life as rewarding as the chance to serve the men and women who have served our country so bravely.

I'm one of the lucky ones.
I get to see it every day.
And I see it every time I come here, to a building named after one of our most well-known Veterans: Daniel J. MacDonald. I want to thank his son Dan MacDonald Junior, a distinguished member of the RCMP, for being with us this morning for such a special occasion.

British Prime Minister David Lloyd George summed up our work here perfectly more than 90 years ago. Speaking just a few days after the First World War had ended, the British prime minister said:

"What is our task? To make Britain a fit place for heroes to live in."

That remains our task here. To make Canada a fit place for our heroes to live in, and generations of employees at Veterans Affairs Canada have been helping to lead the way.

In the early days, following the First World War, we were called the Department of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment. And that's exactly what we did ... we paid out disability allowances and provided retraining so that our brave soldiers could make successful returns to civilian life.

Later, when faced with a wave of new Second World War Veterans, the Government of Canada created the Department of Veterans Affairs-on October 18, 1944.

The Department's mandate at the time was simple and straightforward: to "repay the nation's debt of gratitude for service to the country."

And this Department took up that noble challenge.

We helped our Veterans to recover from their injuries, to find work--sometimes here at Veterans Affairs--and to build their communities.

Then, as these extraordinary men and women aged, we provided them with long-term care and other programs like: Health Care Benefits, the Veterans Independence Program, and Funeral and Burial Assistance.

Today, the pendulum has swung again and the Department is now serving two distinct groups of Veterans: traditional war-service Veterans and modern-day Veterans.

And, as you know, both groups have their own unique needs. They often require very different services and benefits. And I am proud to say that Veterans Affairs is delivering.

In fact, the work we have done over 65 years has made a real and lasting difference-not just for our Veterans, but all Canadians.

We pioneered programs, medicines and social services--and we led the way in the treatment of such conditions as dementia and arthritis.

Over the years, we may have changed a lot, but one thing has remained constant: our commitment and our determination to honour and support our remarkable Veterans.
That has never changed. And it never will.

With nearly 40 offices across the country and a presence on many Canadian Forces bases, Veterans Affairs is putting our people where they need to be to provide the best one-on-one care for our Veterans.

And, we are also helping Canadians remember their achievements and their sacrifices. In France. In Italy. In Holland, Hong Kong and Korea. In the Suez, Bosnia and Kosovo. And, today, in Afghanistan.

That is our mission.
To dedicate ourselves to the men and women who have dedicated themselves to defending our way of life.
The men and women who have defended our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

It is an honour and a privilege to lead such a devoted team at Veterans Affairs.

And, of course, to you here this morning, allow me to congratulate you on 25 years right here in Charlottetown.

But it doesn't matter where you travel in this country or where you meet our employees--their first priority is the best interests of our Veterans, their families and their communities.

I know that will never change.
You won't let it change. Because you understand the great debt we owe these men and women.

You live it every day, in a labour of love.
And every day, you truly make a difference.
Every day, you make Canada a fit place for our heroes to live in.

Congratulations on your 65th anniversary.

Canada Post Commemorative Stamp Unveiling

2009-10-19T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you, Peter, Merci.

And good morning to my colleague, the Honourable Robert Merrifield, the Minister responsible for Canada Post,
Members of Parliament:
Phil McColeman, (Brant)
Roger Gaudet, (Montcalm)
Royal Galipeau (Ottawa-Orleans)
And Peter Stoffer (Sackville - Eastern Shore)
Honoured Veterans,
Guests,
Susan Margles, Vice-President, Canada Post,
Susan Hemstreet, History Teacher at A.Y. Jackson,
and Students
Ladies and gentlemen.
Mesdames et Messieurs
Bonjour.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It is great to be here this morning for what is a fitting tribute for our nation's truest heroes.

This is what Remembrance is all about.

It is about bringing our Veterans and young Canadians together.
So that we can keep the Torch of Remembrance burning brightly.
And so that future generations never forget the great debt we owe to those who have served our country -- and those who serve today.

We really do live in the best country in the world and we owe much of it -- if not all of it -- to the brave men and women who have always been willing to defend our way of life.
The men and women who have always been there to defend our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

As Canadians, we have a solemn duty -- a solemn responsibility -- to remember their accomplishments, and to remember their sacrifice.
To remember that freedom is not free. That it has never been free. It has come at a great and terrible cost to our nation.

And that is what our students here have done.
What you have accomplished at A. Y. Jackson Secondary School to remember all of our heroes -- is truly inspiring.
Your videos are a perfect example of how we can each find our own way to express our nation's gratitude.

You have taken the tools of our times -- just as A.Y Jackson, a First World War veteran and artist, used the tools of his time - to create something great and lasting.

I want to thank you for your leadership.
For your creativity.
And for such an enduring expression of gratitude.

In this same way, I want to thank Canada Post this morning for honouring our Veterans with this new stamp. "Lest We Forget" is both a great and simple way for all Canadians to say thank you to the men and women -- past and present -- who have stepped forward for Canada.

Each time we use one of these stamps, we will pause to remember.
We will help others to take a moment to remember.
And, most of all, these stamps will help us make a real connection with the men and women they honour.

Think about the Canadians currently serving abroad in Afghanistan or some of the world's other most troubled places. Imagine their reaction when they see this stamp "from home." What a powerful reminder that we are thinking of them.

And our Veterans. Imagine the gratitude they will feel when they see one of these stamps in their mailbox. Maybe it will be attached to one our Veterans' Week postcards, a Christmas card or even a child's hand-drawn Valentine for Vets.

Each time they receive one of these stamps in their mail, they will know that their own promise has been kept to the men and women they vowed never to forget.

They will know that we have not forgotten their friends and comrades who never returned home with them.

And we will have given all of them the greatest gift possible: The Gift of Remembrance.

Lest we forget.

Thank you. Merci.

Veterans' Week 2009 Poster Unveiling

2009-10-16T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you John.
And good afternoon/bonjour.
Members of the Provincial Legislature,
Mayor Woodside,
Colonel Pearson (Base Commander, CFB Gagetown),
Honoured Veterans,
And all of the young people from George Street Junior High.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It is great to be here this afternoon for the official unveiling of the 2009 Veterans' Week commemorative poster.

The poster you will see today truly captures both the changing faces of our Veterans and the different ways that Canadians remember them.

On the one hand, the poster we are unveiling today pays tribute to the men and women in uniform who have always served our country so bravely over the years.

The men and women who have always been there for Canada.

But it also encourages all of us to take a moment to think about how we will remember these remarkable Canadians. To think about how we will remember the great debt we owe these men and women who have earned the right to be called our nation's truest heroes.

As the saying goes, "actions speak louder than words." Our 2009 Poster challenges each of us to find our own way to remember these ordinary men and women who have accomplished extraordinary things.

Starting today, and over the next several weeks, the 2009 Veterans' Week poster will be distributed nationwide-and it will come with one straight-forward question: How will You Remember?

How will YOU remember the men and women who stepped forward to defend our way of life in the First and Second World Wars, or in Korea?

How will YOU remember the sacrifices and achievements of our soldiers who have served on peacekeeping missions and military operations in the Suez? In Bosnia? Or today in Afghanistan?

How will YOU remember the many ways these men and women have always been there when we've needed them-serving our country and protecting our shared values of: Freedom. Democracy. And the rule of law?

The way Canada has answered the world's call for help has changed over the years. It has evolved with time. And so should our mission of remembrance.

For many of us, expressing our nation's gratitude has traditionally meant gathering at a local cenotaph November 11 to pause and remember in silence ... or lighting a candle at an evening vigil.

But today's new technologies have brought other innovative ways to remember.

We are now able, for example, to post our feelings to a blog, or share our creative writing online.

You can connect with friends around the world using emails and social networking.

There are no longer any limits to your imagination.

And all that matters is that we do take the time to remember. That you do take the time to remember that freedom is not free. That freedom has never been free.

It has come at a great and terrible cost to our country. A price paid in our largest cities and smallest villages. And a loss felt in every community across Canada.

So many of our finest young men and women have sacrificed everything important to them so that we might see a better future.

A British poet by the name of John Maxwell Edmonds captured their sacrifice perfectly when he was writing about those who never returned home from the First World War.

"When you go home," he wrote, "when you go home, tell them of us and say, 'For your tomorrow, we gave our today'."

That is what we remember today.

That is what we will remember during Veterans' Week next month.

They gave their today for our tomorrow. And what is truly remarkable is that during the two Great Wars, many of our fallen heroes weren't much older than the students here with us today.

Some of them actually claimed to be much older than they really were because they wanted to serve.

That's what always strikes me most when I visit one of our war cemeteries overseas. It's the ages on the headstones of the Canadians buried in foreign soil, not far from where they fell. Canadian boys as young as 14 and 15 years old gave their lives for us.

How do we ever repay the great debt we owe them?
How can each of us honour them?
And how will YOU remember them?

Lest we forget.
Thank you. Merci.

Keynote Address
Korea Veterans Association
Annual Banquet

2009-09-27T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you John.

And good evening
Minister Fletcher
Honoured Veterans,
Distinguished guests,
Mesdames et messieurs.

« Je suis honoré d'être ici à Winnipeg. »

It is great to be here for the Korea Veterans Association's annual Awards Banquet. You know, it was this time last year that I was making plans to attend the Association's National Convention in Kitchener. But if I remember correctly, "something else" came up.

I think all Canadians are glad that, so far at least, a federal election hasn't interrupted more important things this year--like being here tonight to honour some of our nation's truest heroes.

Looking around the room, it is great to see so many familiar faces. That's one of the many privileges of being the Minister of Veterans Affairs--the opportunity to meet you in your local communities, at the annual ceremonies in Brampton and Ottawa, or even overseas--in Korea--last summer.

And it doesn't matter where I go--where I travel--our message to you will never change: We owe you a debt of gratitude that we simply can never fully repay.

Through your service, you have helped give us the greatest country in the world.

You have risked everything dear to you to defend our way of life.

To defend our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

And since you started returning home from Korea over 50 years ago, you have continued to help build this country-whether you continued to wear our uniform or whether you returned to your hometowns as community leaders.

And you are still distinguishing yourselves as members of the Korea Veterans Association of Canada. As your mission statement says, "The Korea Veterans Association of Canada embodies the spirit of camaraderie that was developed during the Korean War and the years that followed."

You can feel that--alive and well--in this room. And why not? You have every reason to be proud of your legacy ... of the traditions and the friendships you've maintained after all these years.

You can also take pride in knowing that the great courage you showed in a distant land almost six decades ago is continuing with our men and women in uniform today. And they are proud to be following in your footsteps.

I hear it all the time. I heard it repeatedly this past spring, when I had the honour of spending two days with our men and women on the front lines in Afghanistan.

Time and time again they said to me, "Please keep taking good care of our Veterans. They've earned it." Ladies and gentlemen, they are right. You have earned our nation's gratitude.

And, if I may say, I truly believe our government's record on Veterans issues these past four years reflect our nation's gratitude.

I know you didn't come here to hear me read a list of our accomplishments, but I think it's worth mentioning a few very important highlights.

For example, it is our government that implemented the New Veterans Charter for our modern-day Veterans. It is our government:

that created a Veterans Bill of Rights;
that appointed Canada's first Veterans Ombudsman;
that expanded the Veterans Independence Program;
that addressed the Agent Orange issue at CFB Gagetown;
that compensated our Atomic Veterans;
that is doubling our number of Operational Stress Injury clinics.

And it is our government that is restoring Allied Veterans benefits.

What's more, we aren't just restoring these benefits to our Veterans of the Second World War. We are also extending them to our Allied Veterans from the Korean War--to the men and women who served alongside you.

To Allied Veterans who were your comrades and who have become lifelong friends.

We have done all of these things for only one reason. Because it is the right thing to do.

It was British Prime Minister David Lloyd George who captured this perfectly in a speech he gave just days after the First World War had ended.

"What is our task?" the prime minister asked. "To make Britain a fit place for our heroes to live in." That remains our duty today. To make Canada a fit place for our heroes to live in.

To remember that none of us, no family and no community in Canada, has been untouched by war or service to our country. And to remember that for those who have lost a loved one in service to Canada, every day is Remembrance Day.

You know that better than anyone.

You have paid dearly for peace and freedom. When the United Nations came to Korea's aid with a multinational force, Canada responded in numbers far exceeding the world's expectations.

From 1950 to 1953, more than 26,000 Canadian men and women served in Korea, and after the Armistice was signed--7,000 Canadians remained in Korea to maintain the peace. When the world called, you answered--because that is the Canadian way. Always has been. Always will be.

But we know your service came with a great and tragic cost. A total of 516 Canadians-516 of your comrades-made the ultimate sacrifice for peace and freedom.

People like Private Curtis Hayes, who never lived to see the twins his "girl" Jenny Lee gave birth to shortly after he had shipped out to Korea.

Or Pat O'Connor, a stretcher bearer who wrote, the night before he gave his life caring for our dead and dying: "May their names live in glory forever, and their souls in Heaven above."

These are the sacrifices that remind us that freedom is not free. That freedom has never been free.

These are the stories that remind us that while you have never made the headlines, you have written the true story of Canada.

I feel honoured to be with you--the men and women who wrote our history.

I remember standing at the "Bridge of No Return" last July in Panmunjeom when Jim Gunn walked across it. Jim was a sniper who was captured by the enemy in March 1953. He spent three months in a POW camp before walking across that bridge to his freedom. It was truly humbling to watch him retrace his steps across that bridge 55 years later.

It reminded me--yet again--how truly blessed our nation is. How lucky we are to have courageous men and women who are always ready to serve Canada.

And, being here with you, I am reminded how fortunate we are to have groups like the Korean Veterans Association to care for and look out for our Veterans and their families.

The work your association does goes far beyond the bonds of friendship.

It is your mission. A labour of love.

And it reminds me of a poem. The author of the poem is unknown, but I like to think he might have been a soldier:

"Some people," the poem says, "Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same."

That is why you are here in Winnipeg today.

That is why you organize events like the luncheon today for the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.

That is why you travel to Brampton to hold national remembrance ceremonies at "The Wall."

And that's why some of you still travel back to Korea.

Because some things stay with us for a lifetime.

Like the promise you made to the men and women who served alongside you in Korea and here at home. Courageous Canadians you vowed never to forget.

I know it has not been easy.

There was a time when the Korean War was Canada's Forgotten War. When it was referred to as a "conflict," or a "police action."

I know it never felt like a "police action" to you. It was far more than a conflict. It was a war. Plain and simple. Brutal and tragic.

And you endured. You distinguished yourself with your service and your courage. With what you accomplished and what you sacrificed. And you have remained true to your fallen comrades.

All these years later, you can truly say you have kept your promise to our fallen men and women.

On behalf of the prime minister, on behalf of our government and on behalf of all Canadians, "Thank you." Thank you for all that you have done-and thank you for all that you continue to do to make Canada the best country in the world.

Lest we forget.

Thank you. Merci.

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Association Lunch

2009-09-27T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Bud.

And good afternoon
Minister Fletcher
Honoured Veterans,
Other distinguished guests
Mesdames et messieurs.

It's great to be here in Winnipeg to share this regimental lunch with a group of such remarkable and dedicated Canadians.

It is the opportunity to meet people like you--to serve people like you all across this great nation--that makes being the Minister of Veterans Affairs such a privilege, and such an honour.

There are few people in this country who have not heard of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. You have truly earned your reputation for service, for courage and for leadership.

You distinguished yourself in both World Wars, in Korea, on numerous operations in support of the United Nations and NATO--and, most recently, in Afghanistan.

You have risked everything--the comforts of home and the arms of loved ones--for a future you knew you might never see. You have been willing to sacrifice everything to defend our way of life--to defend our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

And, sadly, 36 members of this proud regiment have made the ultimate sacrifice since the Patricia's were first deployed to Afghanistan.

That is what we remember most here today. Their sacrifice--your sacrifice--reminds us that freedom is not free. That freedom has never been free.

It has come at a great and terrible price for our country-and we must never take it for granted.

I had the privilege this spring to see just how extraordinary our men and women in uniform are--when I travelled to Afghanistan with the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, and met some of your comrades.

You can't help but feel pride when you see firsthand the things Canadians are achieving in Afghanistan. The dedication. The discipline. The professionalism.

We truly have the best soldiers in the world.

And we--as a nation--must commit ourselves to serving our Veterans and our men and women in uniform in the same way that they have always served our country--the way you have served our country-without hesitation. Without reservation.

That is our solemn duty: to repay the great debt we owe our Veterans.

I honestly believe our government has every reason to be proud of our record after almost four years in office. And I would say we have done more for our Veterans than any other government in the past 60 years--whether it was:

implementing the New Veterans Charter,
adopting a Veterans' Bill of Rights,
appointing Canada's first Veterans Ombudsman
expanding our Veterans Independence Program
or restoring Allied Veterans benefits.

It's an impressive record of accomplishment, but there is more to be done.

That's why Minister MacKay and I announced while we were in Afghanistan that we are establishing a number of new integrated personnel support centres dedicated to serving our ill and injured members of the Canadian Forces, Veterans and their families.

Two of those offices are here in Manitoba--at 17 Wing Winnipeg and CFB Shilo.

All these efforts are a reflection of our commitment to our Veterans and our men and women serving today. They are a reflection of our commitment to you--our nation's truest heroes.

As I close these comments, I'd like to share with you a story I heard while I was in Calgary for National Peacekeepers' Day last month. It was there that I learned about the last words a young pilot wrote in a letter to his mother-the last words he wrote before he was killed in action during the Second World War:

"The universe," this young pilot wrote, "the universe is so vast and so ageless, that the life of one man can only be justified by the measure of his sacrifice."

Each one of you, in your own way, has sacrificed much.

For our country. For Peace. And for Freedom.

On behalf of the Prime Minister, on behalf of our government and on behalf of all Canadians, I humbly thank you for everything you've done.

And I want to thank you for everything you continue to do to make Canada truly the best country in the world.

Lest we forget.

Keynote Address
The Royal Canadian Legion New Brunswick Provincial Command Convention

2009-09-05T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Mavis. (Cooper, Provincial Command President and Chair of the Convention)

And good morning
Your Honour,
Premier Graham,
Minister (Brian) Kenny,
Mayor (Stephen) Brunet,
Mr. (Charles) Belzile,
Mr. (Terrance) Spence,
Ms. (Patricia) Stone,
Honoured Veterans,
Other distinguished guests,
Mesdames et messieurs.

Je suis honoré d'être ici à Bathurst.

It is great to be with you because it is through gatherings like this that we realize how truly blessed we are as a nation. How lucky we are to have courageous men and women who are always ready to serve Canada. And how very fortunate we are to have groups like The Royal Canadian Legion to care for and look out for our Veterans and their families.

The work you do--every day--is truly extraordinary. And being with you here in Bathurst, I am reminded of a Robert Frost poem about doing what you love . . . for all the right reasons.

Robert Frost wrote:
My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation
As my two eyes make one in sight.
Only where love and need are one,
And the work is play for mortal stakes,
Is the deed ever really done.

That is why you are here. That is why you and the thousands of Legion members before you have been coming together in New Brunswick for 79 years:
For the love of helping our nation's truest heroes. For the satisfaction of making a real and lasting difference for the men and women who have made a difference for our country.

That is why you spend hours on end volunteering with your annual poppy campaign. Even when the grey weather is coming in sideways during the coldest days of October and early November. You don't do it for yourselves. You do it because you know your efforts are helping to take care of those who have always taken care of us. And that is your reward. The only reward you want.

But Canada, and all Canadians, are the ones who benefit the most from you and the work you do. You are there across our great country. More than 360,000 members nationwide. From our largest cities to our smallest villages, and you have helped build our nation—one community at a time. I've seen your work everywhere I travel. Service officers in all parts of our province—men and women who devote themselves to their mission. Dedicated to our Veterans and their families. Without hesitation. Without reservation.

And it doesn't stop there. You are supporting community projects, joining charitable causes, and helping our young boys and girls grow into tomorrow's leaders.

Whether it is providing scholarships or sponsoring track and field events across Canada, you are woven into our national fabric.

In fact, in so many of our smaller communities, the Legion is their heartbeat. A lifeline. Down in my own riding, in the Town of St. Stephen, the Legion hall is our largest place to gather. It is where our community comes together as one. That is what you mean to our communities. And to so many Canadians.

What always amazes me as I travel this country is how little our Veterans ask for in return.

I often think of a Veteran I met on D-Day a couple of years ago--a man who is now in his 80s and who is so typical of so many of our Veterans.

"Lloyd" and I had been talking for a few minutes when he mentioned he had been wounded in the Second World War.

"So Lloyd," I said to him, "you must be one of our clients."

"Oh no," he answered, "I'm not a client." "When I came back from the war," he explained, "I was blessed with a good marriage. My wife and I had a wonderful family, a good business, and I just never asked for help. I always thought there were others who could use the help more than me."

His story has stayed with me because it is being repeated every day, in city after city. In town after town. Village after village. You are the men and women who have never made the headlines, but you've written the true story of Canada.

The other remarkable thing about our Veterans is that when they do seek help, it is for their comrades. I have lost count of the number of war-era Veterans who have pulled me aside and said, "You have to make sure Canada is there for our new Veterans coming up."

And when I've travelled to places like Afghanistan, our men and women in uniform today are only thinking about making sure we are taking care of the Veterans who came before them.

It truly amazes me. And it leaves me wondering how Canada became so blessed to have so many truly fine men and women?

What is it about Canada that we continue to produce the very best soldiers—generation after generation?

And how can we ever repay our great and solemn debt to you?

Even on that last question, you have been the answer.

As I've said many times before, you have been the architects and your fingerprints are all over so many of the things that our government has achieved during our almost four years in office.

Whether it was our implementation of the New Veterans Charter, the creation of a Veterans Bill of Rights, or our appointment of Canada's first Veterans Ombudsman, you were there. As leaders and as supporters.

And I can tell you that our government is equally proud to have been the one that delivered on these things.

Just as it was our government that addressed the testing of Agent Orange at CFB Gagetown in the 1960s.

Just as it was our government that dealt with the outstanding issue of our Atomic Veterans.

Just as it was our government that expanded the Veterans Independence Program to those widows who had waited the longest and to those widows who needed it the most.

And it was our government that restored and extended services and benefits to our Allied Veterans and their families.

We've accomplished all these things—in large part—because of your support and your input.

You've been our "eyes" and "ears" on the ground and, because of that, because of you, our programs, our services and our benefits are more effective than ever. And they are as diverse as the men, women and families we serve.

Despite what I consider an impressive record, the question remains—is the mission complete? No. Despite everything we've done, we can never fully repay the debt we owe our Veterans and their families.

As you meet here in Bathurst, I know you will discuss and debate many important issues—and our government will be listening. We will be looking for your thoughts and your recommendations on how we meet the urgent needs of our increasingly frail traditional Veterans and, at the same time, how we meet the emerging needs of our modern-day Veterans.

These are two very real and different challenges.

On one side, we are losing more than 20,000 traditional Veterans every year. These national heroes are now in their twilight years. The average age of our Second World War Veterans is 88 years old. They need our help today--just as we needed their help some 70 years ago. We must be there for them. And we are.

At the same time, we must recognize that there is a new and growing number of what we call modern-day Veterans. In fact, in just a few more years, our modern-day Veterans will outnumber all of our surviving Veterans from the two Great Wars and Korea.

And these younger Veterans—retiring and releasing from the military at an average age of 36--have their own unique needs. Their own challenges in making a successful transition from the military to civilian life.

So many of these young men and women are serving on dangerous and difficult missions in some of the world's most troubled places. And they are returning home with physical wounds and emotional scars that demand our attention. Our help. And our support.

I want you to know that we are committed to our mission. Our two departments--National Defence and Veterans Affairs--are working closer together than ever before. Because we know we can't let a single Veteran or Soldier to be left behind.

And this comprehensive approach is working. Just this year, for example, Minister Peter MacKay and I have announced the opening of integrated personnel support units on 19 bases and wings across the country—including CFB Gagetown.

These units are meant to be one-stop centres to make sure our ill and injured soldiers, their families and our Veterans get all the help they need. That they deserve.

At the same time, we are also doubling the number of operational stress injury clinics we operate. /p>

It's still not perfect, but people who should know—people like General Romeo Dallaire--have told us that the work we are doing is the best in the world.

We are doing all of this for only one reason: because it is the right thing to do. Because taking care of and honouring our men and women in uniform--past and present-is one of the most basic and most important responsibilities of any government.

British Prime Minister David Lloyd George captured this perfectly in a speech he gave just days after the First World War had ended.

"What is our task?" the prime minister asked. "To make Britain a fit place for our heroes to live in."

That is our duty today. To make Canada a fit place for our heroes to live in. And to remember that none of us, no family, and no community--here in New Brunswick or across the country--has been untouched by war or service to our country.

As our own Prime Minister Harper has said, military service is the highest form of public service. And I would say that serving those who serve our country is also at the top of that list. Many of you have done both—or are doing both.

And I want to thank you. Because, at the end of the day, that is what this weekend is all about: helping to repay the great debt we owe our nation's truest heroes.

I was reminded of that when I was in Calgary last month, when I heard about the last words a young pilot had written in a letter to his mother--the last words he wrote before he was killed in action during the Second World War: "The universe," he wrote, "the universe is so vast and so ageless, that the life of one man can only be justified by the measure of his sacrifice."

Each one of you, in your own way, has sacrificed much for our country, for peace and freedom, and for those who continue to defend our way of life.

You have matched your avocation with your vocation because you could not do otherwise. This is your life's love—repaying and remembering our debt.

I want to thank you on behalf of the Prime Minister—on behalf of our government and on behalf of all Canadians—for everything you've done. And I want to thank you for everything you continue to do to make Canada truly the best country in the world.

Lest we forget.

Merci. Thank you.

Cenotaph Monument Restoration Funding Announcement

2009-09-05T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you/merci John.

And Bonjour
Honoured Veterans,
Members of our Canadian Forces,
Monsieur le Maire and Councillors of Grande-Anse,
Mesdames et Messieurs.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It doesn't matter where you go in our great country-from Grand Anse to Grande Prairie--Canadians know that we live in a blessed nation.

We enjoy rights and freedoms that too many people around the world have never known.

We live in a peaceful nation. A democratic nation. A just nation. And we owe much of it--if not all of it--to the men and women who have always been there to stand up for Canada.

They've always been ready to defend our way of life. And they still are.

Our men and women in uniform today are protecting the same values and ideals that generations of Canadian Veterans before them defended-both in times of war, and in times of peace.

One of the best examples of such remarkable service is right here in Grand Anse, where the seven Boucher brothers combined for more than 160 years in the Canadian Forces.

Their service, their courage, reminds us of how so many seemingly ordinary Canadians have done truly extraordinary things.

And I want to thank Orphir Boucher for being with us today--because you represent a real and inspiring link to the generations of local men and women who have served Canada. The generations of men and women who are honoured by your village's cenotaph.

And that is why we are here this afternoon: Our government is proud to announce that we want to help you to restore and preserve your cenotaph for generations to come.

We want to help you move the cenotaph to safer ground-to a new and fitting site called Veterans' Park--where it will be flanked by two cannons and surrounded by a landscape that will powerfully remind passersby of our hard-won peace.

And we are proud to help by contributing '25,000.

This is our solemn responsibility.
Our shared responsibility.
To pay tribute to our Veterans and their families.
To honour their achievements.
And to remember their sacrifice.

To remember the men and women from Grand Anse who were willing to risk everything--to leave this beautiful village, to leave their homes and the comfort of their loved ones--because they believed in a better tomorrow.

Because they believed in peace and they believed in freedom.

Today, through your efforts and your determination, you are honouring these men and women in the greatest way possible. You are giving them the greatest gift we can give them. You are giving them the Gift of Remembrance.

Votre cenotaphe est un cadeau. Le cadeau du Souvenir.

On behalf of our government and all Canadians, I want to thank you. To thank you for your dedication. And to thank you for your devotion to our nation's truest heroes.

Merci.
N'oublions jamais.

Lest we forget.

Opening of the Sir Winston Churchill Wing of the Caribou Memorial Veterans Pavilion

2009-08-19T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you, Glenda Compton.

And good afternoon/bonjour,
Senator Fabian Manning,
MP Siobhan Cody,
Minister Oram,
Honoured Veterans,
Families and friends,
Officials with Eastern Health,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen.

It is great to be here to officially open the Sir Winston Churchill Wing of the Caribou Memorial Veterans Pavilion.

The extension and renovation of this wing was always about keeping a promise-a promise first made almost 65 years ago. It was about delivering on Canada's pledge to take care of those who took care of us during our country's times of greatest need.

And it is an honour to be here with the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and Eastern Health this afternoon to declare this "a promise kept."

Our government is proud to have contributed '3 million towards expanding this wing and another '200,000 to modernize and upgrade Caribou.

With these investments, we have created a state-of-the-art dementia care unit, and we have added 14 private rooms and new semi-private rooms.

With these investments, we have ensured that the Caribou Memorial Veterans Pavilion remains a place worthy of our Veterans.

And it is also fitting that this wing is named after Britain's most famous war-time prime minister-a man who once said that "courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities ... because it is the quality which guarantees all others."

Your history in this great province is filled with inspiring examples of courage and bravery-from Beaumont-Hamel to the high seas and our merchant mariners. And it is a remarkable tradition that continues today at air wings Goose Bay and Gander.

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have sacrificed much for our way of life. You have given us your very best. And Caribou reflects our commitment to do the same for you.

I want to thank everyone who helped make this project a reality. I want to thank everyone who helped make this day a success. And I want to thank Eastern Health, and the staff and volunteers here at Caribou.

Our government can develop all the new programs we want. We can make new investments, create new services and set ambitious goals for caring for our Veterans and their families.

But, in the end, our efforts really depend on those who are on the ground with our Veterans every day.

Our success depends on you-and you have made us proud.

You have turned caring for our Veterans into your own mission, and your own way to repay the great debt we owe these men and women before us.

On behalf of our government, on behalf of our Veterans here, and on behalf of their families and friends, I want to thank you.

Thank you for your unfailing care and compassion. And thank you for taking mere concrete, steel and glass and making this a real home for our nation's truest heroes.

Lest we forget.

Merci. Thank you.

Dedication of the "C" Force Memorial Wall
Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association

2009-08-15T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Suzanne.

And good morning,
Distinguished Veterans,
Minister Stockwell Day,
Minister John Baird,
Member of Parliament Royal Galipeau,
Senator Vivienne Poy,
General Walt Natyncyzk,
Mr. Doddridge and Mr. Henderson,
Ms. Siu, Mr. Mills and Ms. Lemay,
Other very distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Mesdames et Messieurs.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It is truly an honour to be here this morning to pay tribute to a group of extraordinary men and women whose stories of sacrifice and survival still inspire our nation.

And it is an honour to be with you for the unveiling of what is truly a unique and remarkable Gift of Remembrance.

Almost seven decades ago, 1,976 seemingly ordinary Canadians sailed halfway around the globe--with no idea of the fate that awaited them. They only knew that the world was calling, and they were prepared to answer.
Because that is the Canadian way.
Always has been. Always will be.

Almost seven decades later, we can only try to imagine what they endured in the Battle of Hong Kong. How they found the strength to stand up to a relentless enemy invasion--with few supplies and no backup.

And we struggle to imagine how those who did survive the fierce fighting were also then able to endure almost four years as Prisoners of War in some of the most cruel and desperate conditions possible. Because, when we speak of the horrors of war-the brutality of war, the inhumanity of war--this is the definitive story.

Looking back, we have the benefit of knowing the Second World War began in 1939 and that it would end with V-J Day on August 15, 1945.
We know that 290 Canadians died during the Battle of Hong Kong, and that 493 others were wounded.

We also know that 260 Canadians died in Prisoner of War camps-where they were subjected to forced labour, to torture and to starvation by their captors.

We know all of this because of the advantage of hindsight.

But close to 70 years ago, these brave young men and women could not know-did not know-how it would all end. Or even if it would end.
They did not know if they would live or die, if our Allies would win or lose, or if they would ever see their loved ones again.

And yet they found the strength to carry on.

They clung to their faith that they would survive-even as they said goodbye to yet another friend.

They struggled to make it through each day-even when the only reward was to wake up to another bleak day.

These are the individual and untold stories that our written history cannot record; that we can never truly understand.

We only know-without any doubt-that these 1,976 courageous Canadians have earned their place among our nation's truest heroes.

That is why we are here today.
To remember their service, their bravery and their sacrifice.

We are here today because we have a solemn responsibility to remember and to honour these men and women who gave up the safety of Canada, the comfort of their homes, and the arms of their loved ones to defend our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

And, most of all, we are here today to make sure that future generations will never forget.

With the unveiling of this Memorial Wall, 1,976 remarkable Canadians will live on in all who pass this way.

That is the promise that our Veterans here from the Battle of Hong Kong made so many years ago.

And even in the difficult times you faced when you returned home, you promised never to forget those who were left behind. You made a vow never to forget those who lie buried on foreign soil, not far from where they fell. And you have kept your promise.

I truly believe that when this day is over;
When you have the chance tonight to explore the silence and solitude of your own thoughts;
When you have the chance to listen closely, you will hear the distant voices of your fallen comrades-and they will be saying: "Thank you. Thank you for today. Thank you for your Gift of Remembrance."

Lest we forget.
Merci. Thank you.

National Peacekeepers' Day Ceremony

2009-08-09T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Rick.

And good afternoon,
Honoured Veterans,
Families and Friends of our fallen Peacekeepers,
Fellow Parliamentarians,
Other distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is truly an honour to be here with you on National Peacekeepers' Day -- on a day that truly defines our great country.

Because peacekeeping reflects who we are. It's what we stand for. And it is one of the first things that nations around the world think of when they see our Red Maple Leaf. And rightly so.

Canada invented the term "Peacekeeper." We were a part of the United Nations' first peacekeeping efforts more than 60 years ago, and we have been defending and restoring peace around the world ever since.

And the world knows this -- first-hand -- in places like the Suez, in Cyprus and Lebanon, in Bosnia and the Balkans. And they know it today in Afghanistan. They have seen our Peacekeepers -- serving on the most difficult and dangerous missions we can imagine -- defending our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. Day after day. Without hesitation. Without reservation.

Countries around the world know this is our heritage -- a proud and noble tradition forged by generations of our nation's truest heroes.

But such service and such dedication has come at a great and terrible cost to Canada -- a price marked with each name written on this Memorial Wall. And a price that some of you pay every day for loved ones taken away from you far too soon.

Today gives us a chance to remember such sacrifice. To remember your loss. To recognize that, for anyone who has lost a loved one in service to Canada, every day is Remembrance Day.

And today gives us a chance to remember and to honour the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our way of life. To remember that they were more than just names, or faces flashed across our television screens. They were fathers and mothers. Sons and daughters. Neighbours and friends. They were, and they remain, deeply loved individuals and dearly missed Canadians.

I want to thank all of you for being here this afternoon to keep faith with our Peacekeepers and their loved ones. For the past seven years, you have been coming together in this beautiful park each August -- rain or shine -- to pay tribute to them. And to say thank you.

There are many people who deserve credit for this devotion -- people like Colonel Don Ethell and Bob Titus and everyone else with the Canadian Association of Veterans of United Nations Peacekeeping.

Collectively, you have made a solemn commitment never to forget. You have made remembrance a part of you and, with this Memorial Wall, you have made sure that future generations never forget the great debt we owe our Peacekeepers.

I want to thank our municipal and provincial colleagues who are here today: Alderman Ric McIver and MLAs Art Johnston and Wayne Cao.

And I want to express my sincere gratitude to my fellow Parliamentarians who are here:
Rob Anders (Calgary West)
Lee Richardson (Calgary Centre)
Devinder Shory (Calgary Northeast)

Your presence here today says so much about your own commitment to our Veterans and men and women in uniform, and how hard you work on their behalf, every day of the year. I am truly grateful for your help and for your support.

Ladies and gentlemen, as we gather here -- and as Canadians are gathering across this country in our largest cities and smallest villages -- courageous and compassionate Canadians are serving around the world today to bring peace and stability to countries that have only known violence and horror.

From our men and women in the Canadian Forces to our police officers, diplomats, and civilian aid workers, Canada's Peacekeepers are bringing hope to places that have only known despair.

I feel truly fortunate to have had the chance this spring to see the difference our men and women are making in Afghanistan. To meet them on the front lines -- and to witness their professionalism, their discipline, and their dedication.

It was humbling just to be in their presence -- and I am more convinced than ever that we have the best soldiers in the world.

Being here today. Meeting you. Looking at the faces of our Veterans here. Looking into the eyes of those of you who have lost loved ones -- I am truly moved by your courage and by your faith in a better tomorrow. By your belief that we can live in a World of Peace.

And I am reminded of the words of Thomas Paine:
"If there must be trouble, let it be in my day -- so that my child may have peace."

On behalf of the Prime Minister, our government and a grateful nation, I want to thank each one of you -- for your service, for your sacrifice, and for all you've done to make Canada "the best country in the world."

Lest we forget.

Thank you. Merci.

Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation Ceremony

2009-07-24T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Adrienne.

And good morning/bonjour
Honoured Veterans,
Other distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mesdames et messieurs.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It is great to be with you this morning to celebrate this special occasion. And it is a privilege to be in Victoria for this, the eighth in a series of ceremonies across the country, to honour our newest recipients of the 2009 Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation.

Today, we are recognizing 15 remarkable individuals for the important work they've done to make a difference in the lives of our Veterans.

Before we meet these 15 very deserving recipients, I would like to recognize some other special guests with us today.

Among them are fellow Members of Parliament who have taken the time to be here to offer their own congratulations to recipients from their respective ridings:

Ron Cannan representing Kelowna-Lake Country;
Colin Mayes representing Okanagan-Shuswap.

I want to thank you for being here and for your continued support for our Veterans and their families.

I believe we also have with us today previous recipients of the Commendation:

Bruce Ferguson
Douglas Munro
James Sidel
David Sinclair
William Tanner

Thank you, each of you, for joining us -- and for this opportunity to recognize you again for your many contributions.

It's been said that, "No person was ever honoured for what he or she received. Honour has been the reward for what he or she gave."

Today, we are honouring 15 individuals who have truly given so much to their communities. Fifteen individuals who have dedicated themselves to serving and celebrating our nation's truest heroes.

The Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation was established to pay tribute to such amazing Canadians and their "commendable service."

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II personally approved the design of the Commendation's special bar. And this year, more than 85 Canadians from across our great country will receive this fitting honour.

Today, you will have a chance to meet 15 of these recipients - each of them different in his or her own way. Three are Second World War Veterans, one is a Veteran of the Korean War, seven are Canadian Forces Veterans, one is a Veteran of the RCMP and three are civilians.

Each one of them has found a unique way to serve -- and to remember.

But each one of them is united by the same sense of purpose, by the same sense of duty.

They are united by their pride in Canada, and by their pride in the men and women who have always been there to defend our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

And what is perhaps most remarkable is that each one of them has been making a difference for so long that they don't even realize anymore how special their efforts are. How extraordinary their contributions are.

But we recognize it.
Your families and friends here recognize it.
I recognize it -- And I want you to know our nation is the better for it.

Each one of you is a leader, in the finest sense of the word.
Each one of you is a role model.
And each one of you is an inspiration -- to your communities and to our grateful nation.

This ceremony is our way of saying thank you. On behalf of our Prime Minister and our government. On behalf of Veterans and their families. And on behalf of all Canadians. Through your service and your devotion, you have helped make Canada the best country in the world.

Thank you. Merci.

Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation Ceremony

2009-07-21T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Steve.

And good morning/bonjour
Honoured Veterans,
Other distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mesdames et messieurs.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It is great to be with you this morning to celebrate this special occasion. And it is a privilege to be in Calgary for this, the seventh in a series of ceremonies across the country, to honour our newest recipients of the 2009 Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation.

Today we are recognizing 11 remarkable individuals for the important work they've done to make a difference in the lives of our Veterans.

Before we meet these 11 very deserving recipients, I would like to recognize some other special guests with us today.

Among them are fellow Members of Parliament who have taken the time to be here to offer their own congratulations to recipients from their respective ridings:

Rob Anders representing Calgary West;
The Honourable Larry Bagnell representing Yukon;
Rick Casson representing Lethbridge;
Earl Dreeshen representing Red Deer;
Blake Richards representing Wild Rose;
Devinder Shory representing Calgary North East.

I want to thank you for being here and for your continued support for our Veterans and their families.

I believe we also have with us today previous recipients of the Commendation:

John Cresswell
Ellen Morrell
Roland Soper
Bill Wilson
Donald Ethell

Thank you, each of you, for joining us -- and for this opportunity to recognize you again for your many contributions.

It's been said that, "No person was ever honoured for what he received. Honour has been the reward for what he gave."

Today we are honouring 11 individuals who have truly given so much to their communities. Eleven individuals who have dedicated themselves to serving and celebrating our nation's truest heroes.

The Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation was established to pay tribute to such amazing Canadians and their commendable service.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II personally approved the design of the Commendation's special bar. And this year more than 85 Canadians from across our great country will receive this fitting honour.

Today you will have a chance to meet 11 of these recipients - each of them different in his own way. One is a Second World War Veterans, eight are retired members of the Canadian Forces, one is a retired member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and one is a civilian.

Each one of them has found a unique way to serve -- and to remember.

But each one of them is united by the same sense of purpose, by the same sense of duty.

They are united by their pride in Canada, and by their pride in the men and women who have always been there to defend our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

But we recognize it.
Your families and friends here recognize it.
I recognize it -- And I want you to know our nation is the better for it.

Each one of you is a leader, in the finest sense of the word.
Each one of you is a role model.
And each one of you is an inspiration -- to your communities and to our grateful nation.

Thank you. Merci.

Senate Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs
Bill C-33
An Act to Amend the War Veterans Allowance Act

2009-06-17T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Mr. Chair and good afternoon honourable senators.

I want to thank you for this opportunity to speak with you about Bill C-33, which is An Act to Amend the War Veterans Allowance.

Today, with your help, we have a chance to right a wrong. Today we have a chance to make a real and lasting difference in the lives of some of our nation's truest heroes. And today, I am hoping we can earn your support.

Before we go any further, I'd first like to take a step back. I'd like to draw your attention to just 11 days ago-when nations around the world paused to remember a defining moment of the 20th century.

Today, we know this as D-Day. The day that the light of freedom finally broke through on the darkest days in Europe's long history.

Some 25,000 Canadians participated in D-Day-the most ambitious military invasion the world has ever seen. And we are justified in being proud of what they accomplished that day. We are right to be proud of what Canadians accomplished during the following two-and-a-half months in the Normandy campaign.

65 years later, we know that D-Day was the beginning of the end of the Second World War. That's why thousands and thousands of Canadians gathered in our largest cities and smallest villages earlier this month to mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day.

65 years later, we have not forgotten. We have not forgotten the courage and service of so many brave Canadians-or their sacrifice. We have not forgotten the more than 5,000 Canadians who made the ultimate sacrifice for peace and freedom during the summer of 1944.

Nor should we forget that we were not alone in fighting on the shores of Normandy. We must never forget the remarkable efforts of the other Allied nations that were there with us on D-Day.

That is why our Prime Minister joined the leaders of the United States, Britain and France on the shores of Normandy on June 6. He was there to pay tribute to those who, he said, took on "the most dangerous task imaginable."

A total of 150,000 Allied troops launched the assault on the heavily fortified German defences on the French coast. And each one was just as committed to our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

In fact, a number of these Allied troops from the D-Day invasion had been living in Canada before the war broke out, and many of them came back here when the fighting was over.

Other Allied Veterans decided after the war to leave their own countries and to make Canada home. We encouraged many of them to do so.

We wanted their talents and skills.

We wanted them to help us build our great country.

And we promised to treat them like our own Veterans.

For decades Canada kept its word. For decades, we were unique among the nations of the world in the way that we cared for them.

Only Australia could claim to be doing anything similar to what we were doing for our Allied Veterans.

But all that changed in 1995.

With its 1995 budget, the government of the day stopped taking new applications from Allied Veterans seeking the War Veterans Allowance.

Canada stopped providing new access to long-term care facilities and other important health benefits for Allied Veterans. The federal government even cut new Allied Veteran applicants out of the Veterans Independence Program.

I don't have to tell you how devastating these decisions were. Those cuts to Allied Veterans were simply the wrong thing to do.

That's why, in the federal election last fall, our government pledged to undo the cuts going forward.

We know we can't change the past.

We can't turn back the clock.

But we can change the future.
We can restore the programs cut in 1995.

And that is what we are doing with Bill C-33. It will restore access for eligible Allied Veterans and their families, who moved here to Canada after the war, to the same programs available to fellow Canadians who served alongside them.

With this Bill, we will make sure Allied Veterans of the Second World War--those who have lived in Canada for at least 10 years since the war and continue to reside in Canada--will once again have access to the vital programs provided by Veterans Affairs Canada.

We want them to have access to the War Veterans Allowance, the Veterans Independence Program, health care and support, long-term care, emergency financial assistance, and a dignified and proper burial where circumstances would not otherwise allow.

And we propose to go even further than what was in place before 1995.

We are also extending these important programs to those Veterans who served with the Allied Forces during the Korean War and who live in Canada.

And, again, we don't want to stop there. We want to see that eligible family members from both groups of Allied Veterans --from the Second World War and Korea--may also receive some of these benefits.

By re-instating such eligibility, we expect approximately 3,600 Allied Veterans may have access to a monthly income, to health-care programs and more.

As well, as many as 1,000 family members of Veterans may also have access to a monthly income, emergency financial assistance and the services they need to help them stay in their own homes.

This is what our Allied Veterans have been asking for since 1995. They just want fairness. They just want equality. And that is exactly what we are delivering: a restoration of the benefits and services our Allied Veterans were eligible for prior to 1995. And, as you know, we are hoping to do this quickly. We are hoping we can have this Bill approved before Parliament rises for the summer recess.

If we can do that, we could have the implementation process completed within about six months. And that would allow the Bill to take effect with the new calendar year.

We recognize, however, that time is now the new enemy for our aging Allied Veterans. They don't want to be penalized for another six months of waiting. And they won't be.

With your support, our Bill proposes that once these changes take effect, we can make payment back to October 14, 2008. That date was chosen on purpose. It is significant. Because that was the day Canadians gave us the mandate to act on our election promise. That was the day Canadians said 'yes' to our Allied Veterans.

We all want to do this for the right reasons:
Because it is the right thing to do.
Because our Allied Veterans have earned it.
And because they deserve it.

They've helped make Canada the best country in the world and today, in a very real and lasting way, we can say thank you.

Lest we forget. Merci.

Government of Canada Commemorative Ceremony
65th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy

2009-06-07T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you
And good morning. Bonjour.
Ambassador Lortie
Madame Secretaire Generale
Mayors
Fellow parliamentarians
Distinguished guests
Mesdames et Messieurs
And, most importantly, Honoured Veterans

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It was only this past November that many of us gathered here to lay to rest the remains of Private Ralph Tupper Ferns, a member of the Royal Regiment of Canada.

Private Ferns died on August 14, 1944, during the battle of the Falaise Gap in Normandy, but his remains were not discovered until four years ago. And, almost 65 years later, he finally received the proper military burial he deserved.

Today, Private Ferns is here with his comrades -- the more than 2,800 Canadian soldiers and airmen who were also killed during the battle to close off the Falaise Gap.

Walking down the rows of headstones, you can appreciate the tremendous loss Canada suffered. The sacrifice. And we cannot help but reflect on the names and regiments. Almost every unit of the Canadian 2nd Corps is represented in this cemetery.

They are a true representation of Canada--there is hardly a region or province that does not claim a son buried here. They served Canada -- they stepped forward during our time of greatest need -- because they believed in the words of British Statesmen Edmund Burke, who once said:

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

More than one million great Canadian men and women refused to stand by during the Second World War. They refused to let evil triumph.

They left their villages and cities, their farms and fishing communities, to make a difference. And they did. They came here to fight tyranny and terror. And here lie more than 2,800 Canadians who paid for our freedom with their lives.

We have returned to keep faith with them. To keep faith with those who died so far from their homes and their loved ones.

And, on a day when our country is also marking Canadian Forces Day, it is appropriate that we remember the men and women in uniform today who are still standing up for the same things our Veterans defended here.

I saw this first hand when I visited our troops in Afghanistan last month. Our men and women in uniform continue to put their lives on the line every day to bring peace and stability to troubled places around the world. They refuse to let evil triumph.

And they are continuing a proud and worthy Canadian tradition that the people of France know very well. That the Dutch and Belgians know. And that so many other freedom-loving nations know: When the World calls, Canada answers. Because that is the Canadian way. Always has been. Always will be.

And so, as we feel great sorrow and loss standing here, we are comforted by the knowledge that we are not alone in our solemn duty of Remembrance.

We gather here today with the remarkable people of Normandy who, as they have mourned and honoured their own losses, have never forgotten to pay tribute to our fallen Canadians.

You have never forgotten the sacrifice that was made here. Your deep and unending gratitude is obvious in the warmth you have shown our Veterans. By honouring them, you honour the best of Canada. You honour all of Canada.

On behalf of our prime minister, our Parliamentarians and all Canadians, I say thank you. Thank you for the Gift of Remembrance. Merci.

Canadian Battlefields Foundation Commemorative Ceremony
65th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy

2009-06-07T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you

And good morning. Bonjour.

Honoured Veterans
Fellow Parliamentarians
President of the Canadian Battlefields Foundation
Distinguished guests
Youth
Mesdames et Messieurs

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It is an honour to be here as we mark the 65th anniversary of D Day and the Battle of Normandy.

Thank you for joining us as we pay tribute to both the brave Canadians who liberated the city of Caen and to its citizens who were liberated.

When Canada and its Allied Nations landed on the shores of Normandy 65 years ago, their arrival brought incredible hope for the people of Caen. And, just six weeks later, on July 19th, 1944, our troops brought freedom.

But it came at a terrible price -- for both this great city and our brave men.

For more than a month, the city was under heavy bombardments, its citizens under siege. They were to bear the scars of that terrible summer for years to come.

More than 2,000 innocent citizens of Caen would perish in the fighting and an historic city was left in ruins. The Canadians who entered Caen from the West were shocked by the devastation.

Geoffrey Corry, a platoon commander in the Canadian Scottish Regiment who was wounded in the fighting, later described what many thought at the time:
"It was a good time to pray," he said.

Today, we honour the memory of those who laid down their lives for the citizens of Caen. We honour the courage, the bravery and heroism of the liberators-the soldiers of liberty.

And we are blessed to have some of those brave men with us today.

We honour the citizens of Caen who welcomed our men in uniform with open arms.

And we honour the people of Normandy who continue to pay tribute to our fallen.

You have not forgotten. You have handed down the memories of that summer from generation to generation -- as a powerful reminder that freedom is not free. That is has never been free.

By remembering and defending our shared values, by defending our shared commitment to peace and freedom, we will make sure that the sacrifice here was not in vain. And never will be.

Lest we forget.

Introducing the Prime Minister

2009-06-06T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you......
And good evening. Bonjour.

Your Excellency
Prime Minister
Ambassador Lortie

Honoured Veterans
Fellow parliamentarians
Distinguished guests
Mesdames et Messieurs

I am truly honoured to be in the presence of Canadians who were willing to sacrifice everything on these shores 65 years ago.

Canadian soldiers who fought for the freedoms we too often take for granted.

Canadian soldiers who fought for peace.

And Canadians soldiers who, without question, changed the course of history.

Like all those who have served Canada, they carried out their mission without hesitation. Without reservation. And for that, Canada -- and all Canadians -- will be eternally grateful.

On this day in 1944, Canadians proved once again they were the best soldiers in the world.

And, 65 years later, they don't seek glory or honour.
Because that is already theirs.

They only seek remembrance -- for the fallen comrades they had to leave behind.

Ils nous faut honorer et remercier ceux qui étaient là.

Ils se sont donnés pour la liberté.

We are humbled by what you accomplished.
We are humbled by your service and your sacrifice.
And we are humbled by the chance to be with you on this hallowed ground.

Each one of you represents the best of our nation.
You are our country's truest heroes.
And, on behalf of a grateful nation, it is my honour to introduce to you the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Stephen Harper.

Government of Canada Commemorative Ceremony
65th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy

2009-06-05T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you
And good evening/bonjour

Ambassador Lortie
Mayor Guerin
Mayor Delalande
Honoured Veterans
Fellow Parliamentarians
Distinguished guests
Mesdames et Messieurs

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It is a solemn honour to be here tonight as we mark the defining moment of the 20th century -- an invasion and campaign that many military historians agree was the greatest strategic victory of the last 100 years.

But more than anything, we gather here this evening in a place of shared remembrance for Canada and France -- in a place where the price of freedom is marked with each headstone.

Standing here, we are truly humbled by the care and honour the great people of Normandy have shown our fallen Canadians. On behalf of our Prime Minister, on behalf of all of us here, and on behalf of all Canadians, we thank you for this powerful Gift of Remembrance. Merci.

In this cemetery lie brothers-in-arms who, 65 years ago, were united by their love of country, their willingness to serve, and their unwavering sense of purpose.

And tonight, we feel anew our nation's great loss and unending gratitude -- for the 2,044 Canadians buried here. Most of them were from the 3rd Canadian Division and fell in action on D-Day, or in the following days as they advanced on the wounded city of Caen.

Each headstone in this cemetery represents a story -- a human story, of loss and sorrow.

Nineteen of the Canadians buried here are unidentified -- "known only unto God," as their headstones say.

Eighteen more headstones mark the final resting places of nine pairs of brothers -- something unheard of in any other cemetery from the Second World War.

And yet, as we walk the rows of headstones, our eyes inevitably fall upon the ages of those that lie buried here:
19 years of age; 21 years of age; 20 years of age;
20 years of age; 18 years of age.
Some were even just 16 or 15 years old - because they doctored their ages to serve their country.

Visiting cemeteries like this, I often wonder: Who was the last person to say the names of any of these fallen soldiers out loud?

Did their family names die with them? Was the young man buried at my feet an only son? Or the last brother?

Did the young widow who never re-married -- did she ever have the chance to visit her husband's grave? When was the last time his name was spoken out loud?

That is why we are here -- because we can undo this passage of time.
We can make our Remembrance truly meaningful.v And we can say "thank you" -- simply by speaking their names again.

I hope that during our time here, each of you will have the chance to do that. To help our nations repay our debt to the courageous men (and women) who sacrificed everything so that we might live in peace. So that we can live in freedom.

Lest we forget.

Tribute to the Royal Canadian Navy/Memorial Unveiling 65th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy

2009-06-05T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Ambassador Lortie
Honoured Veterans
Fellow Parliamentarians
Admiral de la Perrière
Commodore Ellis
Garth Webb, President of the Juno Beach Centre Association
Distinguished guests
Mesdames et Messieurs

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

Good afternoon and thank you for joining us in this important ceremony.

On the morning of June 6, 1944, a total of 109 vessels from the Royal Canadian Navy were part of the massive armada of Allied Forces heading for the shores of Normandy.

Bombardier Okill Stuart, a Canadian D-Day Veteran who is part of our delegation here in France, would later write that he was amazed by the sight of so many ships on the English Channel.

"It seemed," Okill wrote, "It seemed one could walk back across the Channel hopping from vessel to vessel, just like stones at low-water in a salmon stream."

Okill's description is a powerful reminder of the great role our navy played here 65 years ago. While we often think of D-Day in terms of the 15,000 Canadians who came ashore at Juno Beach, our victory would not have been possible without the close to 10,000 Canadian sailors who were also here that morning.

Their contributions, their courage was every bit as remarkable. Every bit as crucial.

And every bit as worthy of our admiration.

That is why we are proud to be here today to remember and honour their service and their sacrifice.

We should not be surprised by what the our Navy accomplished. By June 1944, the Royal Canadian Navy, along with the Merchant Marine, had already spent more than four years bravely preserving the vital supply lines between Canada and Great Britain.

But D-Day was still extraordinary. That morning, Canada's naval contribution far exceeded what anyone might have expected from a country of only 12 million people at the time.

And, on that morning 65 years ago, our navy had rightfully earned its place alongside the seven other Allied Nations.

Sixty five years later, our navy is still "punching above its weight." And we remain humbled by such dedication. By such determination.

Monsieur le Baron, these are the same words we can use to describe the Comité Juno and its efforts in creating this fitting tribute to the Royal Canadian Navy.

You have never forgotten Canada's contribution to D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. And, with this monument, you are truly helping to preserve the memory of the sacrifices our service men and women.

It has been said that there is no greater duty than that of returning thanks.

With this monument, you have done your duty - and so much more. With this monument, you have honoured our Veterans here, and you have honoured all Canadians.

Thank you. Merci beaucoup.

Comité du Débarquement Ceremony at Bernières-sur-Mer 65th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy

2009-06-05T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you, Merci

And Good Afternoon/Bonjour

Honoured Veterans
Fellow Parliamentarians
Admiral Brac de la Perrière
Other Distinguished Guests Mesdames et Messieurs

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It is an honour to be here today, under the flags of eight great nations dedicated to peace and freedom around the world.

And I would like to thank the Comité du Débarquement for this fitting tribute to our brave Canadians who took part in D Day and the Battle of Normandy.

While this place is only a small part of France, it remains a very large part of Canada.

It was shortly after eight o'clock on the morning of June 6, 1944, that the men of the Queen's Own Rifles landed here-and helped change the course of history.

Our presence here today is proof of what they accomplished 65 years ago- because we have returned here with the freedom they won for us. For all of us. And for all nations that cherish the values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

This ceremony also provides us with a powerful reminder that freedom is not free. Freedom has never been free. It comes with a great and terrible price that has cost Canada so many of her finest sons and daughters.

The Queen's Own Rifles suffered the worst of Canada's casualties on D-Day-right here at Bernières-sur-Mer.

Yet, despite their heavy losses, these courageous Canadians never faltered. They pressed on-because that is the Rifleman's Creed: "I will ... fight on through the objective and complete the mission..."

One of the Regiment's objectives that morning was this landmark building overlooking the beach, known to us now as the Maison des Queen's Own Rifles of Canada.

As the plaque on the house reminds us, more than 100 members of the Regiment were killed or wounded within sight of the building.

Charlie Martin, who was among the Canadians who came ashore here with "A" Company of the Queen's Own Rifles, would later write about the pain and the heartache of losing so many friends and comrades.

"After we had charged the beach," Charlie recalled, "After we had charged the beach and I knew what war was, I couldn't help going behind a wall and crying."

Even now, in the peace and tranquility of this beautiful place, we can feel the sting of Charlie's tears. And we remember.

We remember those who never returned home to their loved ones. Those fallen Canadians who now lie buried - not far from where they fell.

And we honour those with us today-the men and women who vowed never to forget their fallen comrades. You have returned here because you have always kept faith with those who served side by side with you. Because you truly represent the best of Canada.

It was a former British Prime Minister (Benjamin Desraeli) who once said that "great nations are those that produce great people."

That is what our nations share here-the pride and honour of knowing that so many of our greatest men and women have worn our nations' uniforms. Men and women who have always defended peace.
Men and women who have always stood up for our shared way of life. For our freedom.

And tonight, on the eve of the 65^th anniversary of D-Day, we salute you - our nations' truest heroes.
Lest we forget.
Merci. Thank you.

Parliamentary Tribute on the 65th Anniversary of D-Day

2009-06-02T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you.

And good morning/bonjour
Speaker Kinsella,
Speaker Milliken,
Fellow Parliamentarians,
Honoured Veterans,
Other distinguished guests
Mesdames et Messieurs.

This morning we have gathered in the Senate of Canada and this is, without a doubt, the perfect venue for events like this.

This chamber, with its paintings by Canadian artists from the First World War, captures the powerful images of what our Veterans have sacrificed for Canada. This chamber is a stark reminder of the high cost we have paid for our freedom. For our way of life.

And so it is fitting that some of our country's greatest artists, who first made a name for themselves in the Second World War, have also been able to join us.

We are honoured to have in our presence this morning:
Bruno and Molly Lamb Bobak and Robert Hyndman. What each of you achieved on the artist's canvas is more profound -- and more powerful -- than any words could express.

History can record the battles. It can describe the size of the armies and the number of casualties. But it is the silent contemplation of the artists' work that moves us -- in a very real and lasting way.

Every stroke of your brush was deliberate.
Every colour you chose was deliberate.
And your work continues to evoke the emotion that mere words cannot.

You've helped us to make the human connection from numbers simply too great to comprehend.
It's what you saw. It's what you felt. It's what you lived. And it's what you painted.
You've preserved history from revision.
For this, we are forever grateful to each of you.

As we mark the 65^th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy this morning, we are remembering more than a historic campaign or a decisive turning point in the Second World War.

When our troops and Allied Forces landed on the shores of Normandy on the sixth of June, 1944, they were truly saving the world from the tyranny of Nazi rule.
That is the simple truth.
There is no other way to describe it.

For those of us who were not there. For those of us who have not worn Canada's uniform. And for those of us who have not waved goodbye to a departing troop train or stared out long after a ship has vanished on the horizon, we can only guess at what it was like in 1944.

Radio reports from the frontline could only hint at a world holding its breath that morning. A world waiting. And praying.

Here at home, Canadians only knew that something big was happening. But the details were painfully sketchy for those with loved ones overseas.

Canadians would endure many torturously silent and agonizingly long days before the first telegrams reached our shores. For many families, it was the news they dreaded the most: Their loved ones would not be returning home. They would, instead, be buried on foreign soil - not far from where they fell.

Sixty five years later, Canada still mourns their loss.

Sixty-five years later, Canadians still want to hear the countless untold human stories that our written history cannot capture, or convey.

Last week, an Opposition MP came to see me at my desk in the House of Commons.
She wanted to let me know that she was thinking about rising this week to make a statement on D-Day.

But she wasn't sure she could do it. Not because she didn't want to, but because she didn't know if she could control the emotions that overwhelm her whenever she remembers her father-a D-Day Veteran who passed away 15 years ago.

"He never wanted to talk about it," she told me through tear-filled eyes.

In that moment, I knew that she had to share her story with all Canadians. And I hope she will. I hope that she can.

It was only three years ago, as I was standing on the shores of Normandy with my oldest son, that I learned for the first time the details of my own father-in-law's D-Day landing. I stood there fascinated as I listened to my son recount the details - each painful, brutal fact that my father-in-law had only told twice in his life.

And when my son had finished, I asked him why I didn't know this story. "Why had Grand-dad not told me any of this?"

My son simply looked at me and replied: "Because you didn't ask."

I now know that we do have to ask. Because these are the real stories, the human stories, that touch every family in Canada.

And yet, of all Canadians, no one owes our Veterans more than Parliamentarians do. It is only because you have served our country that we as Members of Parliament and Senators can serve - freely, in a truly democratic country.
There's no disputing that. There's no doubting that.

And, when our world leaders gather in France later this week, they will recognize that.

It has been said that great countries are those that produce great people. And no nation has produced finer men and women than Canada.
Our troops have always been the best in the world.

Going overseas has a way of helping us understand the great debt we owe our country's truest heroes. That's why it is so important that we do go back, as a Canadian delegation, to the shores of Normandy this week.

To see how other nations still remember what it was like to have their countries occupied by a foreign army.
They pass down the memories from generation to generation - as powerful reminders so that peace and freedom within their borders are never taken for granted.

Just two weeks ago, in Afghanistan, I met a Dutch commander who, as soon as he learned I was from Canada, insisted on telling a story.

He explained that whenever he went home to Holland, people would ask him: "Why are Dutch soldiers serving in Afghanistan?"

He said he answers them with his own simple question. "Why," he asks, "Why was Canada in Holland during the Second World War?"

All these years later, the Dutch, the French, the Belgians. All of those whose nations were once occupied have not forgotten. And they know - instinctively --that when the World calls, Canada answers. Because that is the Canadian way. Always has been. Always will be.

This is the heritage - the national identity - we have inherited from the D-Day and Battle of Normandy Veterans assembled here before us - in a chamber they fought to defend.
For a way of life they stood up to protect.
But their service came at a terrible price.
A price paid with so many young lives cut short; with so many comrades buried on distant lands.

And when I visit their final resting spots in those cemeteries with the brilliant white headstones, my eyes always fall to the ages of those that lie buried there: 19 years old. 21 years old. 20 years old. 20 years old.
18 years old. Some are even 16 years old - because they doctored their age to serve their country.

And as I walk the cemeteries, I often wonder: Who was the last person to say the names of any of these fallen soldiers out loud? Did their family names die with them?
Was the young man buried at my feet an only son? Or the last brother?

Did the young widow who never remarried -- did she ever have the chance to visit her husband's grave?
When was the last time his name was spoken out loud?

We can undo this passage of time.
We can make our Remembrance truly meaningful.
And we can say "thank you" -- simply by speaking their names again.

That is why these D-Day and Normandy Veterans are here with us this morning.

They don't seek glory or honour. Because that is already theirs.
They seek only Remembrance - for the comrades they left behind.
Those men and women they vowed never to forget.

Sixty-five years later, time has become their new enemy.
It has taken its toll on their once-young bodies.
Their step is no longer as brisk as it once was.
Their salute is not quite as sharp.
Their knees now resist the bend.

But still, they continue to march in formation.
To march on the colours.
To lay wreaths.
And to honour their fallen comrades.

I am truly humbled to be in your presence.
To be witness to your dignity and courage.

You have known the great price of freedom, and you have been willing to pay it.

You have known the terrible struggles of nation building, and you have made Canada strong and proud and free.

You have felt sacrifice, and you have made Canada the best country in the world.

We can never repay you. We can only offer two simple words: "Thank you."

Lest we forget.

Merci.

Announcement of Government's intention to amend The War Veterans Allowance Act

2009-05-31T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Jason (Kenney).

And good afternoon/bonjour:
Honoured Veterans
Colleagues
Other distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Mesdames et messieurs.

Je suis tres honore d'etre ici.

I want to thank you for coming out on this Sunday afternoon for such an important announcement.

In just six days, nations around the world will pause to remember a defining moment of the 20th Century. Across our own country, we will remember the 25,000 courageous Canadians who were part of the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.

They came ashore at Juno Beach. They were parachuted behind enemy lines. They served in the skies and on the seas. And when the first day was over, Canadians had pushed the deepest through the heavily fortified enemy lines.

Another 65,000 Canadians would follow that summer for the Normandy campaign that ended with the liberation of Paris on August 25, 1944.

We all know how tragic and costly the price of victory was. More than 5,000 Canadians made the ultimate sacrifice-including 340 who gave their lives on D-Day. We must never forget our loss. We must never forget our nation's sacrifice to turn the tide in the Second World War.

But we must also never forget that we were not fighting alone on the shores of Normandy. We should never forget the remarkable efforts of the seven other Allied Nations that were with us on D-Day.

A total of 150,000 Allied troops were there-and each one of them was just as committed to the cause of freedom as our men and women were. And they remain just as committed to our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

In fact, a number of these Allied troops from the D-Day invasion had been living in Canada before the war broke out, and many of them came back here when the war was over.

Other Allied Veterans decided after the fighting to leave their own countries and make Canada home.

We encouraged many of them to do so.

We wanted the talents and skills they possessed.

We wanted them to help us build our great country.

And we promised to treat them like our own Veterans.

For decades, Canada kept its word. For decades, we were unique among the nations of the world in the way that we cared for them.

Only Australia could claim to be doing anything similar to what we were doing for our Allied Veterans.

But all that changed in 1995.

With its 1995 budget, the government of the day stopped taking new applications from Allied Veterans seeking the War Veterans Allowance.

Government stopped providing new access to long-term care facilities and other important health benefits for Allied Veterans. They even cut new Allied Veterans out of the Veterans Independence Program.

I don't have to tell you how devastating these decisions were.

Those cuts to Allied Veterans were simply the wrong thing to do. You know it. And we know it.

That's why, in the federal election last fall, our government pledged to undo the cuts going forward.

We know we can't change the past.

We can't turn back the clock.

But we can change the future.

We can restore the programs that were cut.

And ladies and gentlemen, that is what our government is announcing today.

This week, I expect to start the process for restoring access for eligible Allied Veterans and their families to receive the same programs available to fellow Canadians who served alongside them.

What we want is to make sure Allied Veterans of the Second World War-those who have lived in Canada for at least 10 years since the war and continue to reside in Canada-will once again have access to the vital programs provided by Veterans Affairs Canada.

And we hope to go even further than what was in place in 1995.

We also expect to extend these important programs to those Veterans who served with the Allied Forces during the Korean War.

This is what our Allied Veterans have been asking for. This is what many of you - people like Chris Korwin-Kuczynski and Wladyslaw Lizon -- have been asking for. And that is exactly what we have promised to deliver: a full restoration of the benefits and services our Allied Veterans were eligible for prior to the 1995 cuts.

Ladies and Gentlemen, our government wants to do all of this for one simple reason:
Because it is the right thing to do.
Because you've earned it.
And because you deserve it.
You've helped make Canada the best country in the world and today, in a very real and lasting way, we are saying thank you.

Lest we forget. Merci.

Appearance before the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs

2009-05-27T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Mr. Chair and good afternoon honourable senators.

It is great to see so many familiar faces around the table. And I have to tell you that when I first saw the list of senators on this committee, I immediately knew our Veterans are in good hands.

I want, especially, to congratulate you Senator Meighen on your re-appointment as Chair and also Deputy Chair Senator Banks.

I would like to apologize for having to cancel my appearance here earlier this month. As some of you may know, I ended up going to Afghanistan that week and it forced me to change my schedule with little notice. I truly appreciate your understanding.

Now, I know I've said this many times. I may have even said it the last time I was here. But our Veterans unite Parliamentarians-and all Canadians-like few things can.

So many ordinary Canadians stepped forward to defend our shared values, our way of life, our freedom. It is extraordinary.

I had the chance to see that first hand when I was in Afghanistan. The men and women who put their lives on the line every day.

It is the same thing our Veterans have always done. In a little more than a week, nations around the world will pause to remember D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. We look back today and we realize this was not only a turning point in the Second World War, but a defining moment in the 20th Century.

But how do we ever repay such accomplishments, such sacrifice?

That is what your work here is all about. It is about ensuring our Veterans and their families receive the care and the honour they've truly earned-and that they truly deserve.

I think we've done a pretty good job over the past three years meeting our responsibility and our Veterans organizations have been very supportive.

Whether it was implementing the New Veterans Charter, or creating a Veterans Bill of Rights, or appointing Canada's first Veterans Ombudsman.

Or whether it was expanding the Veterans Independence Program, doubling our number of Operational Stress Injury clinics, or addressing the testing of Agent Orange at CFB Gagetown 40 years ago, we have consistently stood shoulder to shoulder with our Veterans.

Of course, I know there is still more to do. For example, I know that you've been looking at what we call the "transition gap"-that point where a releasing or retiring CF member becomes a Veteran. We are continually improving it and listening to the young men and women coming through. We are making it much, much better.

I will give you just one example of how we are accomplishing that. Since March, we've announced the opening of 19 Integrated Personnel Support Centres on Bases and Wings across the country. They are jointly operated by DND and Veterans Affairs Canada, and they essentially provide "one-stop service" for ill and injured CF Members, Veterans and their families.

This is a model very similar to what we've been doing for years at places like CFB Valcartier, where we now have 16 full-time staff. In fact, even before this program was launched, we had a presence on 32 of our 37 Wings and Bases - conducting transition interviews and other important work.

This kind of approach really improves our ability to help those men and women who need it. It helps to keep them from falling through any "cracks." It helps them to become active members of their community-and, therefore, it reduces the chances of greater problems down the road: like homelessness or untreated mental illnesses.

Senator Romeo Dallaire has called our efforts the best in the world. He's described them as a bridge that is helping CF members make the successful transition to civilian life.

Combined with the wellness programs offered through the New Veterans Charter, we are making a real and lasting difference. We have 220,000 Veterans, RCMP and their families depending directly on Veterans Affairs as clients, and 178,000 of them are receiving disability pensions.

Obviously, even our best efforts cannot prevent every potential problem. Things like post-traumatic stress disorder can actually take months or years to surface. But we are doing everything we possibly can, and I want you to know that we take our responsibility to these men and women very seriously.

I see it with everyone I meet at Veterans Affairs.

We sometimes complain about bureaucratic red tape or the slow pace of government, but when you see our staff working on the front lines-you can't dispute their dedication, their compassion, or their passion for what they are doing.

They want to make a difference, and they are. We all are. Steadily. Surely.

The New Veterans Charter is a perfect example of this. It focuses on the wellness of Veterans and extending our assistance beyond disability pensions. It's about providing the kind of comprehensive help they want and need to make a successful transition to civilian life.

Here are just a few examples of the success of the New Veterans Charter:

We've helped more than 14,000 Canadian Forces Veterans and families make the transition to civilian life.
There have been almost 12,500 disability awards.
And more than 2,600 Veterans have used our comprehensive suite of rehabilitation programs.

The list goes on and on. And these efforts reflect our determination to take care of our Veterans in the same way that they have served our country. Without hesitation. Without reservation.

We should be proud of that. We can be proud of what we have accomplished so far.

But we also know our work continues. Our mission can never be over-because we can never fully repay the great debt we owe our nation's truest heroes.

Thank you. Merci.

Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation Ceremony

2009-05-11T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Dan.

And good morning/bonjour
Honoured guests,
Veterans,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mesdames et messieurs.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It is great to be with you this morning to celebrate this special occasion. And it is a privilege to be in Burlington for this, the fourth in a series of ceremonies across the country, to honour our newest recipients of the 2009 Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation.

Today we are recognizing ten remarkable individuals for the important work they've done to make a difference in the lives of our Veterans.

Before we meet these ten very deserving recipients, I would like to recognize other special guests with us today.

Among them are three fellow Members of Parliament who have taken the time to be here to offer their own congratulations to recipients from their respective ridings:

Phil McColeman representing Brant;
Bruce Stanton representing Simcoe North; and
Mike Wallace representing Burlington.

I want to thank you for being here and for your continued support for our Veterans and their families.

I believe we also have with us today six previous recipients of the Commendation:

Bill Burrell
William Eisan
Robert McNeilly
Bruce Melanson
Darrell Shaule
William Webster

Thank you, each of you, for joining us -- and for this opportunity to recognize you again for your many contributions.

It's been said that, "No person was ever honoured for what he received. Honour has been the reward for what he gave."

Today we are honouring ten individuals who have truly given so much to their communities. Ten individuals who have dedicated themselves to serving and celebrating our nation's truest heroes.

The Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation was established to pay tribute to such amazing Canadians and their "commendable service."

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II personally approved the design of the Commendation's special bar. And this year more than 85 Canadians from across our great country will receive this fitting honour.

Today you will have a chance to meet ten of these recipients -- each of them different in his own way. Nine are Veterans and one is a civilian.

Each one of them has found a unique way to serve -- and to remember. But each one of them is united by the same sense of purpose, by the same sense of duty. They are united by their pride in Canada, and by their pride in the men and women who have always been there to defend our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

But we recognize it. Your families and friends here recognize it. I recognize it -- And I want you to know our nation is the better for it.

Each one of you is a leader, in the finest sense of the word. Each one of you is a role model. And each one of you is an inspiration -- to your communities and to our grateful nation.

Thank you. Merci.

Keynote Address
46th Ontario Provincial Command Biennial Convention

2009-05-11T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you and good morning:
Honoured Veterans,
Distinguished guests,
Mesdames et messieurs.

« Je suis honoré d'être ici à Burlington. »

It is great to be here for the 46th Ontario Provincial Command Biennial Convention. All weekend, I have truly felt that I am among friends.

And it is through gatherings like this that we realize how blessed we are as a nation. How lucky we are to have courageous men and women who are always ready to serve Canada. And how very fortunate we are to have groups like The Royal Canadian Legion to care for and look out for our Veterans and their families.

The work you do -- every day -- is truly extraordinary. Watching you here in Burlington, I am reminded of a Robert Frost poem about doing what you love -- for all the right reasons.

My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation
As my two eyes make one in sight.
Only where love and need are one,
And the work is play for mortal stakes,
Is the deed ever really done.

That is why you are here. For the love of helping our nation's truest heroes. For the satisfaction of making a real and lasting difference for the men and women who deserve it.

That is why, even on the coldest of October days, you can still be found for hours on end volunteering with your annual Poppy Campaign. You wouldn't even think of being paid - even for a full day's work. You feel your reward within your heart. In your soul. Because you know that it is only when you do something for the love of doing it that the job is really done.

And when we see the Poppy pinned to a lapel, a sweater or a fall jacket, well, it is as Canadian as you can get. Every one of us. Every Canadian. We all know what it represents. It is a truly powerful symbol of courage and sacrifice.

And it is a reminder of you. Of The Royal Canadian Legion. And what you mean to Canada.

It seems as if you have always been there for our nation. Through war and in peace. In good times and bad. Hundreds of thousands of ordinary Canadians -- an army of ordinary Canadians -- who do truly extraordinary things. Every day.

That's what The Royal Canadian Legion stands for. Ask any Canadian about supporting our Veterans, and the first thing that will likely come to their mind is you. The Legion.

You are there across our country. More than 360,000 members nationwide, and almost half of them here in Ontario. From our largest cities to our smallest villages, you are building our nation - one community at a time.

I've seen your work everywhere I travel. Service officers -- like Kelly Newstead in New Brunswick, who devote themselves to their mission. Without hesitation. Without reservation.

And it doesn't stop with helping our Veterans or their families. You are supporting community projects, joining charitable causes, and helping our young boys and girls grow into tomorrow's leaders. Whether it is providing scholarships or sponsoring track and field events across Canada, you have become completely interwoven with the fabric of our nation.

In fact, in so many of our smaller communities, the Legion is their heartbeat. A lifeline. In my own hometown of St. Stephen, New Brunswick, the Legion hall is our only place to gather. It is where our community comes together as one. Where we discover our common purpose. It is where our town lives and breathes. That is what you mean to Canada. To so many Canadians.

As the Minister of Veterans Affairs, I've had the unique opportunity and great honour to witness your work first hand. And, as I've said many times before, your efforts -- your fingerprints -- are all over so many things that our government has achieved for our Veterans and their families.

Even when the odds seemed most stacked against you, you refused to give up. Because you knew how important these measures were -- how important they are -- to our Veterans and their families.

And I can tell you that our government is equally proud to have been the one that delivered on these things.

Just as it was our government that addressed the testing of Agent Orange at CFB Gagetown in the 1960s.

And just as it was our government that expanded the Veterans Independence Program to those widows who had waited the longest, to those widows who needed it the most, and to those widows who could least afford it.

We've accomplished these things - in large part - because of your support and your input.

You've been our "eyes" and "ears" on the ground and, because of that, because of you, our programs and our services and our benefits are more effective than ever. And they are as diverse as the men and women and families we serve.

As you meet here in Burlington, I know you will discuss and debate many important issues - but I am sure that most of them will centre around two main things: the urgency of being there for our increasingly frail traditional Veterans and the pressing need to meet the emerging challenges of our modern-day Veterans.

I want you to know that our government will be listening to you.

We share your concern. Every year, more than 20,000 Veterans pass away. So many more are in their twilight years. In fact, the average age of our Veterans from the Second World War is 88.

We need only do the math to understand the reality we face. Today, there is only one surviving Canadian Veteran of the First World War - John Babcock. How long will it be before we are saying the same thing about our Second World War heroes? It is a sobering reminder to all of us that time is now their enemy. And it compels us to act. To make sure that they live out their final years with the dignity and comfort they've earned.

And these younger Veterans -- retiring and releasing from the military at an average age of 36 -- have their own unique needs. Their own challenges in making a successful transition from the military to civilian life.

So many of these young men and women are serving on dangerous and difficult missions in some of the world's most troubled places. None of them return the same as they left. Their missions change them. Because, as the old saying states: "In war, there are no unwounded soldiers."

We have to be there for them. Standing by them. Supporting them when they need it. And not just their physical well-being, but their mental health too.

For the first time in our history, Canada truly has a comprehensive mental health strategy for our Veterans and men and women in uniform.

We've achieved this by having Veterans Affairs and the Department of National Defence working more closely together than ever before.

Most of you know we already have Veterans Affairs officials located on 17 bases and wings to provide on-site transition services for releasing Canadian Forces members.

But we are now going one step further with the new integrated personnel support centres we've opened on eight Canadian Forces bases. These are essentially one-stop service centres for our CF Members and Veterans.

Staffed by DND and Veterans Affairs employees working side by side, these centres are aimed at making it easier for our men and women to learn about the programs and benefits they are entitled to.

There was a time when we referred to war's aftermath as battle fatigue or shell shock. Some of you likely experienced it yourself. And we know how tragic the results could be: individual lives shattered and families ripped apart by psychological scars that went untreated. Psychological torments that were simply too great for most of us to comprehend.

We know better, today. We are beginning to understand what we now call operational stress injuries. And we know that the key is prevention. The key is early intervention.

People like General Romeo Dallaire have helped us realize just how terribly wounded even able-bodied soldiers can be. And he has told me personally that our efforts to deal with these injuries are the best in the world. We have made a conscious decision to invest in more OSI clinics and new programs that can make a real difference in the lives of these suffering men and women.

Because it is our national duty. Because we owe it to them to be there for them as they have always been there for us. As you have always been there for us.

We must never forget such service.

Across our country, 6,000 cenotaphs, monuments and memorials stand as silent reminders of our nation's sacrifice.

They are in every Canadian community, and each one tells a story of the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms that too many of us take for granted.

We have a duty to maintain these cenotaphs. To protect them. And to make real for ourselves every name etched upon them.

As Canadians, we need to read aloud these names and to truly understand that behind every name there was and is a family - a family that paid the price for our shared values of Freedom. Democracy. And the Rule of Law.

None of us. No family, and no community, has been untouched by war. And we continue to feel the loss - because every day is Remembrance Day.

The English Poet James Allan once said, "There is no more urgent duty than that of returning thanks."

I know that is why you are here in Burlington. And I know that is why you devote so much of yourselves - your time and energy and your enthusiasm - to your communities.

You have matched your avocation with your vocation because you could not do otherwise. This is your life's love - repaying and remembering the great debt we owe our nation's heroes.

I want to thank you. I want to thank you on behalf of the Prime Minister - on behalf of our government and all Canadians - for everything you've done. And I want to thank you for everything you continue to do to make Canada truly the best country in the world.

Lest we forget.

46th Ontario Provincial Command Biennial Convention
Opening Ceremony

2009-05-10T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you for those kind words of introduction.

And good afternoon,
Your Honour,
Mike Wallace, MP for Burlington,
Joyce Savoline, MPP for Burlington,
Mayor Cam Jackson,
Honoured Veterans,
Other Distinguished guests,
Mesdames et messieurs.

Je suis honoré d'être ici

It is great to be here with you as you gather to celebrate many years of camaraderie, support and service at this 46th Ontario Provincial Command Biennial Convention.

I often say that we can never do enough to repay the great debt we owe our nation's truest heroes. And the debt we owe each one of you here today.

You have always been there for Canada. In times of war and in times of peace. You've dedicated yourselves to building this great country, to building your local communities, and to serving the men and women who have defended our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

That is a remarkable legacy, and one you can be rightfully proud of. And it is a record of service that has come to define The Royal Canadian Legion.

The Legion is truly a full partner and ally when it comes to improving our care and service for Canada's Veterans and families.

Our government is proud of the partnership we've enjoyed with you.

We truly value our ability to work together for the good of the men and women who've earned and deserve our support.

By reaching out through your membership, you are bringing the issues of the day to our attention. And you are helping us better understand the realities facing our Veterans and their families.

Your support has been critical to ensuring that the sacrifices and achievements of our Veterans are never forgotten. And you, the men and women in this room, represent the spirit of Canada.

You represent the very best we-as a country-have to offer. And you represent the very best of what it means to be a Canadian.

As you gather here for this convention, I want you to know that our Government shares your commitment.

We share your vision.

And we share your enthusiasm.

I want to thank you for allowing me the honour of speaking with you today and I sincerely wish you a successful convention.

Thank you. Merci.

Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation Ceremony

2009-05-05T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Diane.

And good morning/bonjour
Honoured guests,
Veterans,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mesdames et messieurs.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It is great to be with you this morning to celebrate this special occasion. And it is a privilege to be in Quebec for this, the third in a series of ceremonies across the country, to honour our newest recipients of the 2009 Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation.

Today we are recognizing seven remarkable individuals from this province for the important work they've done to make a difference in the lives of our Veterans.

Before we meet these seven very deserving recipients, I would like to recognize other special guests with us today.

Among them are fellow Members of Parliament who have taken the time to be here to offer their own congratulations to the recipient from their ridings:

Meili Faille, Member of Parliament for Vaudreuil-Soulanges , Quebec, and Josée Beaudoin, Member of Parliament for Saint Lambert, Quebec.

I want to thank you for being here and for your continued support for our Veterans and their families.

I would also like to thank Jacques Gourde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and to the Minister of National Revenue for being with us today and showing his support of our Veterans.

I believe we also have with us today five previous recipients of the Commendation:
Mychèle Amberg,
Sylvain Hamel,
Viateur Lavoie,
Okill Stuart, and
Walter Charron.

Thank you, each of you, for joining us -- and for this opportunity to recognize you again for your many contributions. It's been said that, "No person was ever honoured for what he received. Honour has been the reward for what he gave."

Today we are honouring seven individuals who have truly given so much to their communities. Seven individuals who have dedicated themselves to serving and celebrating our nation's truest heroes.

The Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation was established to pay tribute to such amazing Canadians and their "commendable service."

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II personally approved the design of the Commendation's special bar. And this year more than 85 Canadians from across our great country will receive this fitting honour.

Today you will have a chance to meet seven of these recipients -- each of them different in his or her own way. Five are Veterans and two are civilians.

Each one of them has found a unique way to serve - and to remember. But each one of them is united by the same sense of purpose, by the same sense of duty. They are united by their pride in Canada, and by their pride in the men and women who have always been there to defend our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

But we recognize it. Your families and friends here recognize it. I recognize it -- And I want you to know our nation is the better for it.

Each one of you is a leader, in the finest sense of the word. Each one of you is a role model. And each one of you is an inspiration -- to your communities and to our grateful nation.

Thank you. Merci.

Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation Ceremony

2009-04-21T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Peter.

And good morning/bonjour
Honoured guests,
Veterans,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mesdames et messieurs.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It is great to be with you this morning to honour our newest recipients of the 2009 Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation.

And it is fitting that we are recognizing these 9 very special individuals in our nation's capital - in a city that symbolizes the very things our Veterans have always defended.

Before we meet these 9 remarkable men and women I would like to take a moment to recognize some other special guests with us today.

Among them are fellow Members of Parliament who have taken the time to be here to offer their own congratulations to recipients from their respective ridings:

Royal Galipeau, Ottawa-Orleans
Rick Norlock, Northumberland-Quinte West
John Rafferty, Thunder Bay-Rainy River

Gentlemen, I want to thank you for being here and for your continued support for our Veterans and their families.

I believe we also have with us today three previous recipients of the Commendation:
Duane Daly,
Adrien Leblanc
Elsa Lessard

Thank you, each of you, for joining us today - and for this opportunity to recognize you again for your many contributions.

Duane, I also understand that you will soon be enjoying retired life, and I'd like to take this opportunity to say that the Legion will miss you, and we in government will miss you. You have been a tireless advocate on behalf of Veterans, always putting their interests first.

That is what makes each recipient of the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation so special.

It's been said that, "No person was ever honoured for what he or she received. Honour has been the reward for what he or she gave."

Today we are honouring 9 individuals who have truly given so much to their communities. Nine individuals who have dedicated themselves to serving and celebrating our nation's truest heroes.

The Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation was established to recognize such remarkable Canadians and your "commendable service."

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II personally approved the design of the Commendation's special bar. And this year, more than 85 Canadians from across our great country will receive this fitting honour.

Today we will have a chance to meet 9 of these recipients - each of them different in his or her own way. Six are Veterans, two are currently serving in the Canadian Forces, and one is a civilian.

Each one of them has found his or her own special way to serve - and to remember. But each one of them is united by the same sense of purpose. They are united by the same sense of duty.

They are united by their pride in Canada, and by their pride in the men and women who have always been there to defend our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. And what is perhaps most remarkable is that each one of them has been making a difference for so long that they don't even realize anymore how special their efforts are. How extraordinary their contributions are.

But we recognize it. Your families and friends recognize it. I recognize it -- And I want you to know our nation is the better for it.

Each one of you is a leader, in the finest sense of the word. Each one of you is a role model. And each one of you is an inspiration - to your communities and to our grateful nation.

This ceremony is our way of saying thank you. On behalf of our prime minister and our government. On behalf of Veterans and their families. And on behalf of all Canadians.

Through your service and your devotion, you have helped to make Canada the best country in the world.

Thank you. Merci.

Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation Ceremony

2009-04-07T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you John.

And good morning/bonjour
Honoured guests,
Veterans,
Ladies and gentlemen.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

It is truly great to be here in Miramichi to announce the first recipients of the 2009 Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation.

Before we honour these five very deserving individuals, however, I'd like to recognize some other special guests among us today.

First, I'd like to thank my colleague-and your new MP for Miramichi-Tilly O'Neill Gordon, for being here this morning.

Tilly has had an impressive first six months in Ottawa, and that includes serving as a member of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs.

In fact, while she may be a "rookie" MP, many of us already know her as a full member of our "Veterans" community.

We also have Wayne Easter, MP for Malpeque, Prince Edward Island here with us today.

Thank you Tilly and Wayne, for being here and for your continued support for our Veterans and their families.

I believe we also have with us today three previous recipients of the Commendation:

Frederick Moar
Eldred Bucci and
Betty MacLachlan

Thank you for joining us today-and for giving us another chance to recognize you for your many contributions. It's been said that, "No person was ever honoured for what he received. Honour has been the reward for what he gave."

Today, we are honouring five individuals who have truly given so much to their communities.

Five individuals who have dedicated themselves to serving and celebrating our nation's truest heroes.

The Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation was established to recognize such remarkable Canadians and their "commendable service."

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II personally approved the design of the Commendation's special bar.

And this year, more than 85 Canadians from across our great country will receive this fitting honour.

Today, you will have a chance to meet the first five recipients -- each one of them different in his or her own way. Four are Veterans themselves and one is an elementary school teacher who has helped her students to understand the great debt we owe these extraordinary men and women.

Each one of them has found his or her own special way to serve -- and to remember. But each one of them is united by the same sense of purpose. They are united by the same sense of duty. They are united by their pride in Canada, and by their pride in the men and women who have always been there to defend our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

But we recognize it. Your families and friends recognize it. I recognize it. And I want you to know our nation is the better for it.

Each one of you is a leader, in the finest sense of the word. Each one of you is a role model. And each one of you is an inspiration -- to your communities and to our grateful nation.

This ceremony is our way of saying thank you. On behalf of our prime minister and our government. On behalf of Veterans and their families. And on behalf of all Canadians. Through your service and your devotion, you have helped make Canada the best country in the world.

Thank you. Merci.

Veterans Meet and Greet with Minister Thompson

2009-04-07T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Good afternoon/bonjour
Honoured Veterans,
Family members,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mesdames et messieurs.

Je suis honoré d'être ici.

Thank you all for coming this afternoon. I am very pleased to be here. I would like to extend a special welcome to members of the Chiasson family. You will be hearing more about them a bit later.

I would also like to recognize a fellow parliamentarian with us today, Yvon Godin.

Thank you-each one of you-for being here. Your presence says a lot about your own commitment to serving our nation's truest heroes.

The Canada we know today is due in large part to the efforts of our Veterans. They are ordinary men and women who did truly extraordinary things defending our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

Our Veterans helped build our great nation. And they continue to serve their communities and our country in different ways- using the same courage and dedication they displayed when they wore their uniforms.

Just today, I had the honour of presenting the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation to four New Brunswickers and one Prince Edward Islander.

Today's gathering is an opportunity for us to talk openly ... to share stories ... and to learn where our Government has improved our service to our Veterans-both traditional and modern-day Veterans-and where we can do better.

That's where you come in. Your questions and your input help ensure we provide the care our Veterans need-where and when they need it. Let me begin the discussion by updating you on some of this Government's recent activities:

Last month, we partnered with the Department of National Defence to establish a network of integrated personnel support centres at Canadian Forces bases across the country. These centres will provide a more coordinated approach to Canadian Forces members and their families as they make the transition back to military service or to civilian life.

The Conservative Government will be investing '22 million in these centres across the country, including one at CFB Gagetown.

Our Government developed a Veterans Bill of Rights which provides our Veterans with a clear commitment that they will be treated with the respect, dignity and fairness they deserve.

We also appointed Canada's first Veterans Ombudsman, Colonel (retired) Patrick B. Stogran. His office plays an important role in raising awareness of the needs and concerns of Veterans.

April also marks the third anniversary of the implementation of the New Veterans Charter-an important suite of wellness programs designed to help Canadian Forces Veterans and their families make the transition from military to civilian life.

Our Conservative Government has also been able to double the number of operational stress injury clinics. By this fall, there will be ten clinics across the country, including the outpatient clinic which we opened in Fredericton last year, and a new residential clinic opening soon at Ste. Anne's Hospital in Quebec.

We are providing more support for military families through the Operational Stress Injury Social Support program-also known as OSISS.

We have expanded the Veterans Independence Program, helping Veterans and their survivors remain healthy and independent in their own homes and communities.

Tomorrow, we will officially open the newly renovated Robert L. Knowles Veterans' Wing at the Villa Chaleur long-term care facility. Our investment of more than '300,000 will ensure Veterans in this community receive the highest quality of treatment and care. They deserve nothing less.

These are a few of the recent accomplishments that highlight our Conservative Government's commitment to making sure we do our very best for our Veterans and their families.

Presentation to the Chiasson family

On behalf of New Brunswickers--and indeed all Canadians--I am pleased to recognize the Chiasson family.

Raised and nurtured by Amedie Chiasson and Catherine Thériault, the six brothers of the Chiasson family that served in the Canadian military, defended our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. The family is a model of exemplary service to our country, and I'd like to take a moment to read their six names:

Alonzo Chiasson
Joseph Norbert Chiasson
Joseph Raymond Chiasson
Claude Joseph Chiasson
Fernand Joseph Chiasson
Eddy Joseph Alexandre Chiasson

It is an honour to personally thank the Chiasson family for everything you have done for our country.

I also want to acknowledge the efforts of local Member of Parliament Yvon Godin for sharing the story of the Chiasson family with us.

I've heard it said many times that the greatest gift we can give our Veterans is the Gift of Remembrance. Through today's recognition, it is my hope that the military efforts of this family will be remembered and honoured.

Opening Remarks
Main Estimates
Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA)

2009-03-04T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Mr. Chair,
And good afternoon members of the committee.

I want to thank you for inviting me back much sooner than any of us likely expected.

Mr. Chair, we live in the best country in the world. And we owe much of that, if not all of that, to our men and women in uniform. And today, we are reminded of their sacrifice once again. We are reminded once again of our truly solemn duty to provide the services and benefits our brave men and women and their families need.

Today, Canada has lost three of its finest soldiers - Warrant Officer Dennis Brown and Corporals Dany Fortin and Kenneth Chad O'Quinn. Their sacrifice reminds us of why each one of us is here today.

As I say in so many of my speeches, these remarkable men and women in uniform serve without hesitation. Without reservation. And we must be there for them - just as they have always been there for us.

I know that the thoughts and prayers of all of us are with the families and friends of these three fallen soldiers.

Mr. Chair, our programs are as diverse as the remarkable men and women we serve. We have, on the one hand, aging and increasingly frail traditional Veterans, and, on the other hand, we have modern day Veterans and younger Canadian Forces members and their families.

That is what guides us in the management of our '3.4 billion annual budget. And it is also why our budgeted spending has increased by a total of '1.6 billion over our first three years in office.

Mr. Chair, I want to highlight a few items in particular from our main estimates.

For example, meeting our Veterans' needs means eliminating delays in getting them the support they require. When we took office - just three years ago -- we had real concerns about the delays in adjudicating Disability Awards.

There was, frankly, a growing backlog that all of us at this table agreed was unacceptable for the men and women who ensure the freedoms we enjoy. Our government responded quickly with the resources needed to improve the turnaround times on Disability Awards. In 2007, we put an extra '14 million toward moving applications through the system more quickly, and that has resulted in an additional '55 million for awards to our Veterans.

Also in our estimates is an adjustment in the amount required to meet our commitment on Agent Orange. We have kept our promise to deliver a solid, transparent and accountable solution for the Agent Orange ex gratia payments.

As you well know, this was a very difficult issue that previous governments - of all political stripes - didn't want to deal with. We did. We met the challenge.

We developed eligibility criteria based on expert research. And we ensured these criteria were in line with other ex gratia payments set by previous governments.

We estimated the number of potential recipients by using census and military records. We also took into account expert research on the prevalence of Agent Orange-related conditions.

We did that to ensure a fair, transparent and compassionate response to those truly affected.

Rather than make a promise it couldn't keep, this government chose to honour its commitment and put enough money aside to get the job done - with an approval rate of 60 per cent for all those who applied.

Since we began to issue cheques-just five weeks after we made the announcement-2,059 applicants have received the tax-free ex gratia payment. Over '40 million has been delivered to those eligible and their families.

And let me assure you, Mr. Chair, this government has taken many steps to promote the program and its criteria.

Mr. Chair, I also want to take a moment to talk about something of particular importance to me and this Government - and that is our commitment to those brave Canadian Veterans suffering from Operational Stress Injuries.

One cannot imagine the pain of this kind of injury, the isolation of true suffering, grief, and anguish that our men and women go through.

But there is help, and that help continues to take on new dimensions as both the Department of National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada work to provide support, counselling and treatment for those currently serving as well as our Veterans. In the short time since I was last here, we've officially opened two more of our new OSI clinics-in Vancouver and Ottawa-bringing the total to eight.

We will open two more clinics, including the residential clinic at Ste. Anne's Hospital, this fall.

And, this past Monday, we opened a new Integrated Personnel Support Centre in Halifax-one of eight new centres where DND and Veterans Affairs employees will work side-by-side delivering our programs and services.

Mr. Chair, bad weather prevented many of us from being in Halifax for the announcement, but I know a number of members around this table have been very positive in welcoming this new initiative. I also want to point out that we have been offering on-site transition services to releasing Canadian Forces members for several years. We are currently operating on 17 bases and wings across the country.

The new Centres are a more coordinated approach to care. They ensure we don't miss a beat in helping our service men and women move from the support they get from the Forces to the programs and services offered through Veterans Affairs.

The term we often use is "seamless." We want to make the transition from a military career to civilian life as seamless as possible. These new centres will help us to do that even better.

Veterans Affairs staff will help those eligible to access a range of services, including case management; disability and financial benefits; group health care; and rehabilitation and job placement programs. We will coordinate departmental and community resources to ensure Veterans and their families have the support they need.

Veterans Affairs/DND also offer an Operational Stress Injury Social Support program. OSISS, as it is known, provides local peer support to CF members, Veterans and their families.

Mr. Chair, there are also many pressing issues we are facing with our traditional Veterans. These men and women have a new enemy: time. And we need to dedicate ourselves to making sure they receive the help and recognition they've earned. That they deserve.

That's why, for example, we have promised to restore benefits and programs for our Allied Veterans from the Second World War, and to extend this assistance to those who also served in Korea. As well, we are determined to keep the Torch of Remembrance burning brightly.

This year, for example, we will travel to France and Italy to remember the service and sacrifice of Canadians in the Second World War. We have a duty never to forget them or what they achieved.

Mr. Chair, as our country faces one of the most difficult economic times in recent history, we all have a critical role in delivering quality services and programs in a fiscally responsible manner. Our government is working in this economic context to ensure that each and every one of our Veterans continues to get exemplary care and support.

We are committed to making sure our Veterans and their families receive the care and the recognition they deserve. And we are committed to making sure this nation is worthy of its heroes.

Thank you. Merci.

Annual ANAVETS Friends of the Veteran Luncheon

2009-02-26T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Gord,
And good afternoon members of the executive,
honoured Veterans,
distinguished guests
ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for again inviting me to the ANAVETS Friends of the Veteran luncheon.

And, if I may, I'd like to recognize a number of fellow Parliamentarians who are also here - because their presence says a lot about their own commitment to serving our nation's truest heroes:
David Sweet
Judy Foote
Senator Joe Day

Thank you - each one of you - for being here.

It is through gatherings like this that we realize how truly lucky we are. How blessed we are. As a nation. And as Canadians.

And it is through gatherings like this that we come to fully appreciate ANAVETS' efforts throughout the year. That we understand what ANAVETS does on behalf of our Veterans. And on behalf of their families -- because you can't separate our Veterans and their families.

The work you do is truly extraordinary, and I want to thank you. I want to thank you on behalf of our government and all Parliamentarians. I want to thank you on behalf of all those great Canadians you help. And I want to thank you on behalf of our grateful nation.

You know, just this week, I heard a quotation that has stayed with me over the past couple of days. I heard it while we were officially opening our new Operational Stress Injury clinic in Ottawa.

The original source of this quotation is not known. The author is a mystery. But they are seven of the truest words you will ever hear:

"In war, there are no unwounded soldiers."

Ladies and gentlemen, that is a simple truth but such a powerful statement. And those of you who have served this great country know that better than anyone. The Veterans and the families you serve today know it's true, too.

We pray each day that our soldiers will come home from their missions unharmed. And we are truly grateful that most do not suffer any visible scars. But we realize that none of them ever returns completely unscathed. For many of these soldiers, the cost is great. They pay a price for our freedom. For our way of life.

They pay it with their hearts and with their souls. And they pay it with their minds and through their loss.

This is what we need to remember as Canadians. This is what we have to remember as the proud inheritors of this great and free and democratic country.

And, every day, you serve these remarkable men and women. You have made it a mission - your new mission - to care for those who have always taken such great care of us.

And that is why our government, and all MPs, are proud to work with you to ensure the needs of our Veterans and their families are met. That they receive the care, the benefits and the services they've earned.

Your fingerprints and your contributions are all over everything we've accomplished for our heroes. You are one of our best partners. A full partner. And we are proud of that. We are proud of you.

Thank you.

Opening of the Ottawa Operational Stress Injury Clinic

2009-02-26T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you very much, George

And good morning / bonjour
Honourable Veterans
Members of the Canadian Forces and RCMP
distinguished guests,
Fellow Parliamentarians:
Judy Sgro - York West
Judy Foote - Random-Burin-St. George's
Scott Andrews - Avalon
staff
ladies and gentlemen // mesdames et messieurs

Thank you for being here for a truly important ocassion. And I want to personally thank Patrick (Patrick Sudrau, peer support representative) for coming today. Your courage is an inspiration to all of us, and it is because of men and women like you that we are here this morning.

Today, we are officially opening the Ottawa Operational Stress Injury Clinic - a clinic dedicated to serving the brave men and women who have served our country and stood up for Canada.

These remarkable Canadians have always committed themselves to their missions without hesitation. Without reservation. And they, and their families, deserve to know that we are also here for them. Without hesitation. Without reservation.

This clinic is a reflection of our commitment to them. A reflection of our pride in their service and their sacrifice. Because each of us knows that freedom is not free. Freedom has never been free. It has come with a great and terrible cost to our country, and to too many of our finest men and women.

But, for too long, the human toll on our country was measured solely through the young lives lost and the physical wounds visible in our returning men and women.

Sadly, for too long, we did not see or understand the very real and lasting psychological scars of war-the emotional trauma that comes from witnessing horrors too brutal and devastating for many of us to imagine.

And this lack of understanding has produced results which were truly tragic.

Our Veterans and their families were often left to suffer in silence, unable to explain the feelings of anger and depression.

Many of us are old enough to remember the shattered lives we saw in our own communities, following the Second World War. We can remember classmates and neighbours whose families were torn apart by a Veteran struggling with what we now call operational stress injuries-struggling with things like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxieties, depression and addictions.

The good news-and there is good news-is that there is finally help for these Veterans. And help for their families.

For the first time, Canada is taking a more comprehensive approach toward meeting the mental health needs of our Veterans, our Canadian Forces and RCMP members and their families.

In many ways, we owe this effort to people like Patrick, people like General Romeo Dallaire and countless others, who had the courage to ask for the help they needed. They, in turn, helped us understand the very real operational stress injuries that can come from military service. And they inspired us to act.

In our 2007 budget, our government set aside '9 million annually to establish five new operational stress injury clinics -- an investment that is doubling our network of clinics at Veterans Affairs Canada.

Two of these new clinics have already opened in Fredericton, NB and Vancouver. This is the third clinic to officially open, and we expect the other two to be fully operational in the months ahead.

These clinics are part of a national mental health strategy we have developed in collaboration with the Department of National Defence.

Our mission is straightforward: To take care of the remarkable Canadians who have always taken care of us. These clinics are part of that mission.

These clinics offer services to assess, treat and prevent operational stress injuries. These clinics provide support to those who are hurting. And these clinics are making a difference. To date, our clinics have already helped more than 1,500 deserving Canadians-and many of these Veterans have told us the help they received here was virtually life-saving.

By teaming up with groups such as the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group, the Province of Ontario, and the Department of National Defence, we are going to be able to do even more.

Right here in Ottawa.

Right here in our nation's capital-a city that symbolizes so many of the very things our men and women in uniform have consistently defended: Freedom. Democracy. And the rule of law.

This clinic will be a safe haven for healing.

The men and women who come here for help will receive counselling services-one-on-one and in groups. They will be offered educational programs and coping methods to overcome and to manage the symptoms of psychological trauma.

Teams of health professionals-including psychiatrists, mental health nurses, psychologists and social workers-will work together to develop a treatment plan tailored to meet each individual's needs.

And all of this will be available to both our Veterans and those who love and support them.

Together, we can provide the care that our Veterans say is changing their lives.

And together, we can provide real hope for our nation's truest heroes.

Thank you. Merci.

Exhibit Opening
Canadian Wings: A Remarkable Century of Flight

2009-02-23T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you Tony
And good evening
Your Excellency
Mr. Paul (Chair, Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation), Ms. Amyot (President and CEO, SMTC),
honoured Veterans,
distinguished guests,
ladies and gentlemen.

It is an honour to be here to celebrate what is truly an historic anniversary in Canadian aviation.

Tonight we are celebrating 100 years of flight in Canada. Tonight, we are honouring a remarkable era in our long and proud history of innovation and daring. And tonight, we are also paying tribute to the extraordinary men and women who, over these 100 years, have earned the right to be called our nation's truest heroes.

For more than a century, generations of Canadians have stepped forward to defend our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of the law.

They joined the army. They joined the navy. And they joined the air force.

They were humble beginnings. In the First World War, Canada's air force counted fewer than two thousand men. But, by the end of the Second World War, we were more than 200,000 strong and the fourth largest air force of the Allied powers.

Today, our Air Force -- from our pilots to our engineers and technicians- is known around the world for its commitment, its creativity and its courage. Both in war and in peace.

The exhibit we are opening tonight, Canadian Wings: A Remarkable Century of Flight, captures it all. The people and their achievements.

People like First World War pilot, Air Marshal Billy Bishop, who was Canada's top ace in what was supposed to be the War to End all Wars.

People like Pilot Officer Andrew Mynarski, who earned a Victoria Cross for bravery in France in 1944.

People like Second Lieutenant Inge Plug who, in 1981, became the Canadian Forces' first female helicopter pilot.

And people like Mr. Glenn Cook, who is a museum volunteer and who has had a long and distinguished career as a navy test pilot.

These remarkable Canadians are united through the years by their professionalism, their discipline, their skill and their honour. They broke barriers. They set records. And they made their hometowns - and all of Canada - proud.

Their record of service to Canada continues today. In fact, it continues right here in this great museum. Nearly 200 Veterans from the surrounding area spend a lot of time at the Aviation Museum. They conduct research. They develop histories on the planes you see here. And they spend countless hours sharing stories about the aircraft here and their own missions in the skies.

The new exhibit we are officially opening tonight is a fitting and ambitious tribute to our heroes. A fitting tribute to the men and women who dreamed of conquering a new frontier - and did it.

For that, we honour them--with gratitude and with pride.

Thank you.

Ceremony of Remembrance
Korean War Veterans Association

2009-02-20T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you.
And good afternoon
Mr. Tong-Mo Suh
Honourable Veterans
Dr. Doo Ho Shin and
Members of the National Unification Advisory Council
Mr. Song and
members of the Korean Veterans Association
Mayor Derek Corrigan (Burnaby)
Other distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen.

It is truly an honour to take part in such a powerful ceremony of Remembrance - a ceremony that has brought together again some of our nation's truest heroes and some of the very people they helped liberate.

Gathering here today, we are reminded of our two nations' shared history and we are reminded of our determination to defend our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

Most of all, we are reminded that freedom is not free. That freedom has never been free. That it has come at a great and terrible price to both our countries.

By gathering here today, we are renewing our commitment to remember those who have served so bravely and sacrificed so much. For us. For you and me. And for our great countries.

By gathering here today, we are honouring the men and women who travelled to the Far East to join our allies in the fight against oppression - because that is what Canadians do. When the world calls, Canada answers - because that is the Canadian way.

When the United Nations came to Korea's aid with a multinational force in 1950, Canada responded in numbers far exceeding the world's expectations.

More than 26,000 Canadian men and women served in Korea. They sacrificed their own safety and the comfort of their loved ones to serve in a distant and foreign land - determined to protect the ideals we still share and cherish.

Canada paid dearly for such service. A total of 516 Canadians gave their lives serving with the United Nations forces. Among them were 36 British Columbians who made the ultimate sacrifice during the war and in the peacekeeping years that followed between 1953 and 1956. Their names are written forever on this beautiful memorial.

And that is why we are here today.

We have a solemn responsibility - a national duty - to remember them.

To remember the great debt we owe these heroes and to ensure that future generations never forget their sacrifice.

Some 55 years later, ceremonies like this ensure that our Torch of Remembrance will always burn brightly - with gratitude and with respect.

Lest we forget.

Opening of the Vancouver Operational Stress Injury Clinic

2009-02-20T00:00:00-04:00

Speaker: Greg Thompson

Thank you very much, Adrienne (Alford-Burt)

And good morning/bonjour Honourable Veterans, Members of the Canadian Forces and RCMP, Anne Sutherland Boal,(Chief Operating Officer, Vancouver Acute, Vancouver Coastal Health), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen / Mesdames et Messieurs

Thank you for being here with us for a truly important event. Today, we are officially opening the Vancouver Operational Stress Injury Clinic - a clinic dedicated to serving the courageous men and women who have always served our country and stood up for Canada.

But, for too long, the human toll on our country was measured solely through the young lives lost and the physical wounds visible in our returning men and women.

And this lack of understanding has produced results which were truly tragic.

Our Veterans and their families were often left to suffer in silence, unable to explain the feelings of anger and depression.

Many of us are old enough to remember the shattered lives we saw in our own communities, following the Second World War. We can remember classmates and neighbours whose families were torn apart by a Veteran struggling with what we now call operational stress injuries - struggling with things like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxieties, depression and addictions.

The good news-and there is good news-is that there is finally help for these Veterans. And help for their families.

For the first time, Canada is taking a more comprehensive approach toward meeting the mental health needs of our Veterans, our Canadian Forces and RCMP members and their families.

Our government is committed to helping Canada's Veterans live healthy and productive lives. And that means providing support for mental health conditions.

That is why-in collaboration with the Department of National Defence-we have developed a national mental health strategy.

What you see here today is a very real part of that strategy. This clinic is part of a network of clinics set up across the country to treat operational stress injuries. Clinics that offer services to assess, treat and prevent these kinds of traumas. Clinics that provide support to those who are hurting. And clinics that are making a difference. To date, these clinics have already helped more than 1,500 deserving Canadians.

Our government recognized the need for these clinics when we took office. And we took action.

In our 2007 budget, we set aside '9 million annually to establish five more operational stress injury clinics. One of these new clinics has already opened in Fredericton, NB and this is the second one to open. The other three will be fully operational in the months ahead.

The opening of this facility here in Vancouver will provide support for all of our Veterans in British Columbia -- not only here in the Lower Mainland but across the province.

This clinic will be a safe haven for healing. The men and women who come here for help will receive counselling services -- one-on-one and in groups. They will be offered educational programs and coping methods to overcome and manage the symptoms of psychological trauma.

Teams of health professionals - including psychiatrists, mental health nurses, psychologists and social workers - will work together to develop a treatment plan tailored to meet each individual's needs. And all of this will be available to both our Veterans and those who love and support them.

By working with groups such as Vancouver Coastal Health, the Province of British Columbia and the Department of National Defence, we can make a real and lasting difference in their lives.

Together, we can provide the care that our Veterans say is changing their lives.

And together, we can provide real hope for our nation's truest heroes.

Thank you. Merci.

Veterans Affairs Canada - Press Speeches Feed

Support our Troops - A Christmas Breakfast

Thank You to Berardi FamilyCasa Berardi

Ceremony of RemembrancePrice of Peace Monument

Commemorative Ceremony at Cassino Memorial (Sicily)

Ceremony of Remembrance at Cassino War Cemetery

Canada Remembers the Italian Campaign - Send-off Event

Outreach Campaign for Homeless Veterans

Veterans' Week 2009Historica-Dominion Institute Encounters with Canada - Wartime Supper

Ceremony of RemembranceKorea Veterans Association of Canada

The Spirit of Remembering Project: 65th Anniversary of the Italian Campaign

Camp Hill Candlelight Ceremony

The Memory ProjectRecognizing the One-Millionth Student to Hear Stories

Veterans' Week Official Launch

Veterans' Week 2009Minister's Statement

2009 Veterans' Week Vignette Launch

65th Anniversary of the Department of Veterans Affairs

Canada Post Commemorative Stamp Unveiling

Veterans' Week 2009 Poster Unveiling

Keynote AddressKorea Veterans AssociationAnnual Banquet

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Association Lunch

Keynote AddressThe Royal Canadian Legion New Brunswick Provincial Command Convention

Cenotaph Monument Restoration Funding Announcement

Opening of the Sir Winston Churchill Wing of the Caribou Memorial Veterans Pavilion

Dedication of the "C" Force Memorial WallHong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association

National Peacekeepers' Day Ceremony

Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation Ceremony

Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation Ceremony

Senate Subcommittee on Veterans AffairsBill C-33An Act to Amend the War Veterans Allowance Act

Government of Canada Commemorative Ceremony65th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy

Canadian Battlefields Foundation Commemorative Ceremony65th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy

Introducing the Prime Minister

Government of Canada Commemorative Ceremony65th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy

Tribute to the Royal Canadian Navy/Memorial Unveiling 65th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy

Comité du Débarquement Ceremony at Bernières-sur-Mer 65th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy

Parliamentary Tribute on the 65th Anniversary of D-Day

Announcement of Government's intention to amend The War Veterans Allowance Act

Appearance before the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs

Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation Ceremony

Keynote Address46th Ontario Provincial Command Biennial Convention

46th Ontario Provincial Command Biennial ConventionOpening Ceremony

Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation Ceremony

Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation Ceremony

Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation Ceremony

Veterans Meet and Greet with Minister Thompson

Opening RemarksMain EstimatesStanding Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA)

Annual ANAVETS Friends of the Veteran Luncheon

Opening of the Ottawa Operational Stress Injury Clinic

Exhibit OpeningCanadian Wings: A Remarkable Century of Flight

Ceremony of RemembranceKorean War Veterans Association

Opening of the Vancouver Operational Stress Injury Clinic

Thank You to Berardi Family
Casa Berardi

Ceremony of Remembrance
Price of Peace Monument

Veterans' Week 2009
Historica-Dominion Institute Encounters with Canada - Wartime Supper

Ceremony of Remembrance
Korea Veterans Association of Canada

The Memory Project
Recognizing the One-Millionth Student to Hear Stories

Veterans' Week 2009
Minister's Statement

Keynote Address
Korea Veterans Association
Annual Banquet

Keynote Address
The Royal Canadian Legion New Brunswick Provincial Command Convention

Dedication of the "C" Force Memorial Wall
Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association

Senate Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs
Bill C-33
An Act to Amend the War Veterans Allowance Act

Government of Canada Commemorative Ceremony
65th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy

Canadian Battlefields Foundation Commemorative Ceremony
65th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy

Government of Canada Commemorative Ceremony
65th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy

Keynote Address
46th Ontario Provincial Command Biennial Convention

46th Ontario Provincial Command Biennial Convention
Opening Ceremony

Opening Remarks
Main Estimates
Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA)

Exhibit Opening
Canadian Wings: A Remarkable Century of Flight

Ceremony of Remembrance
Korean War Veterans Association