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Premier’s statement on Remembrance Day
Letter to the Editor
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, at the precise moment in 1918 that guns were silenced to end the First World War, British Columbians join others across Canada in two minutes of silence. It is a symbolic time of contemplation to honour the fallen and to recognize the sacrifices of all who serve and have served.
At cenotaphs across the province, we stand with veterans, merchant mariners and serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces to reflect on the terrible cost of war.
We do so this year at a time of renewed interest in what it means to be Canadian. Our country forged part of its identity on the battlefields of faraway lands: Vimy, Passchendaele, Dieppe, Juno Beach, Kapyong. Those simple placenames hold stories of heroism and horror, of sacrifice and dedication, of perseverance and resilience.
Canadians also made important contributions to supporting the multinational coalition in Afghanistan, notably in the southern province of Kandahar, where soldiers engaged in large-scale battles and daily firefights, as well as enduring such hazards as travel along roads seeded with improvised explosive devices.
More than 40,000 members of the Canadian Armed Forces served in the war, our largest deployment since the Second World War, in a conflict lasting 12 years, the longest in our history. The war claimed the lives of 158 Canadian soldiers. Many others were wounded in action and while serving. Others came home suffering from their time spent in a war zone.
Canadians are also rightly proud of our tradition as peacekeepers, an idea championed by diplomat Lester B. Pearson, who won a Nobel Peace Prize before serving as prime minister in the 1960s.
On Remembrance Day, we acknowledge the sacrifices of those who served, as we also acknowledge the sacrifices of those at home who waited for them to return. We recognize the bravery of those who served, as well as the ongoing commitment of those today who seek to preserve peace and security.
On this sombre day, we remember the fallen, forever young in memory. Lest we forget.
Premier David Eby
