10 November 2008
Ottawa, Ontario
This Remembrance Day, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, Canada, as a nation, will pause and remember.
We will remember that this day 90 years ago, when the First World War ended, was a day full of emotions-great relief and joy that the fighting had finally come to a victorious end-and immense sorrow to realize the cost of peace in human terms.
We will remember the brave Canadians and Newfoundlanders who left a young country behind to protect our freedoms in the First World War, and those who went to the battlefields in the Second World War.
We will remember the swift and strong Canadian support during the Korean War as part of a multinational force to stop aggression.
We will remember the countless Canadian peacekeepers and other service men and women who have sacrificed so much to protect the vulnerable and build a safer world.
When the cause is just, Canada will always be there to defend our values and to help our fellow human beings.
This is our heritage as Canadians. A legacy handed down to us from those who sacrificed so much for their country during history's darkest hours.
The brave men and women of the Canadian Forces uphold this legacy today. They wear the maple leaf on their uniforms with honour as they continue to face considerable risk promoting security, democracy and self-sufficiency in Afghanistan and other areas of conflict.
Let us never forget those who served Canada with pride, and the men and women who continue to serve our country today.
So many of our countrymen and women gave their lives in defence of our values-the values we still cherish today: freedom, democracy, the respect for human rights and the rule of law.
Because of their sacrifices we are privileged to live in one of the most prosperous and secure countries in the world.
On this day, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month – Canada, as a nation, strong and free, comes together and remembers. The debt of gratitude we owe our veterans must always be honoured but can never be repaid.
I hope that all Canadians will join me in thanking our remaining veterans and honouring the memory of those who are no longer with us.
Lest we forget.
