NVWSP 2025 video for an audience of all ages
Video / October 21, 2025
Transcript
Narrator: (calm, reflective tone):
- A career in the Canadian Armed Forces is more than just a job.
- For those who serve the country, it’s a way of life.
- At home, overseas, in peace and in conflict — they serve.
Narrator:
- From the sandy beaches of Normandy...
- To the rocky hills of Korea...
- To the desert plains around Kandahar...
- Canadians have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in defence of peace and freedom.
- Heeding the call to serve.
Narrator:
- We remember Private Léo Gariépy of Laval, Québec —
- One of thousands of Canadians who crossed an ocean during the Second World War to defeat tyranny in Western Europe.
- He and his fellow soldiers went on to help liberate the Netherlands in 1945.
- The Dutch embraced them as heroes.
- That bond, born in service, forged in war, lives on.
Narrator:
- Today, service takes many forms.
- Members of the Canadian Armed Forces continue to answer the call.
- Army Member (on camera):
- “For us, service is about standing ready — anywhere, anytime.
- We train for domestic emergencies like flood response and wildfires.
- We deploy overseas alongside our Allies.
- From Op REASSURANCE in Latvia, where we’re helping deter and defend against Russian aggression on NATO’s Eastern Flank.
- To Op UNIFIER where we train Ukrainian security forces in a range of practical battlefield skills.
- We work in teams. We adapt fast. Rain or shine.
- Canadians can be counted on.
- That’s what it means to be mission-ready.”
Navy Member on-camera
- “Right now, our team is sailing as part of Operation CARIBBE.
- It’s one of many missions the Royal Canadian Navy carries out around the world, from the Mediterranean and the Arabian Sea to the Indo-Pacific.
- On CARIBBE, our mission is clear: intercepting drugs and other contraband in the Caribbean and the eastern reaches of the Pacific.
- It’s long hours at sea for everyone. Constant vigilance.
- Dealing with some dangerous and volatile situations.
- And that’s what we’re committed to do— defending Canada and upholding the rule of law.”
Narrator:
- From the warmer waters of the south to the icy floes of the Far North — Canadian sailors, soldiers and air crews stand guard.
Narrator:
- Through NORAD, the world’s only binational command, Canadians help defend North American airspace and monitor this country’s vast maritime approaches — 24/7.
Air Force Member on-camera
- “We’re always on alert.
- NORAD’s about speed, trust and readiness at the highest levels in our profession.
- Our job is to make sure nothing gets past us.
- We track everything—commercial planes, military aircraft, projectiles. You name it.
- Even space objects sometimes.
- Basically, if something doesn’t look right, we’re on it.
- We keep the watch, so our fellow Canadians can live in peace and freedom.”
Narrator:
- Behind every mission, within every unit, are the people who serve.
- Those who serve quietly.
- With pride.
- With purpose.
- With a maple leaf on their uniform.
Narrator:
- “In Flanders fields the poppies blow / Between the crosses, row on row…”
- These words from the pen of Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae are about loss.
- Loss of a comrade.
- Loss of a loved one.
- But they also carry the weight of duty.
- Of the proud Canadian military tradition of service before self.
Narrator:
- Canada’s veterans have walked toward danger, to protect something greater than themselves.
- Through the decades, they have stood guard for peace, for justice, and the values we hold dear.
- So that we might live in peace and prosperity.
- A torch passed on to us, and the generations to come.
Narrator:
- You and I don’t have to wear a uniform to carry the torch.
- We honour them when we show up.
- When we listen.
- When we teach.
- When we remember.
- When we express gratitude.
Narrator:
- To all who serve Canada — past and present —
- Thank you, merci.
[Final frame with simple text on screen:]