Canadian
Forces Day
1st
Sunday in June
Origins:
On April 25th Canada's House of Commons unanimously supported
a Private Member's Motion that calls on the Government to
proclaim the first Sunday every June "Canadian Forces
Day." The aim of the motion, put forward by liberal MP
David Pratt, is to recognize "the tremendous contribution
of the Canadian Forces, both at home and abroad, in such areas
as the defence of Canada, our NATO commitments, humanitarian
assistance, disaster relief, search and rescue, and UN peacekeeping."
(Ref.)
On
May 31, Prime Minister Jean Chretien proclaimed the first
Sunday in June to be Canadian Forces Day in the following
speech:
The
Canadian Forces make a significant contribution to the stability
and security of Canada and the world. The peacekeeping operations
they conduct are more complex and demanding than ever before,
and the emergence of new threats like terrorism is making
many theatres of operation increasingly dangerous.
Not
since the Korean War have the Canadian Forces been so much
in demand. At this very moment, more than 4,000 Canadian
soldiers are deployed in thirteen unstable regions around
the world. Some are waging a hard-fought battle against
terrorism in Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf. Others are
striving to restore peace in the Balkans. Still others are
helping establish democracy in Sierra Leone and the Democratic
Republic of Congo. Showing valour and bravery, these extraordinary
men and women are doing their duty in hostile environments
while enduring lengthy separations from their families.
Within
Canada as well, the contribution of the Canadian Forces
has been remarkable, whether in protecting Canada's sovereignty
and interests or in the fields of research and development,
disaster relief, search and rescue and coastal and air surveillance.
Both
at home and abroad, members of the Canadian Forces are working
tirelessly to build a better world. And for that, Canadians
wish to express their infinite gratitude to the members
of our Canadian Forces, as well as admiration toward their
families for the sacrifices they make every day.
In this
spirit, and on behalf of the members of my government and
myself, I am very proud to proclaim that the first Sunday
in June of each year shall be "Canadian Forces Day".
May
it from now on be celebrated as such across Canada and in
every part of the world where our soldiers are serving.
(Ref.)
Return
to top
Canada
& Peacekeeping
As the
face of war, and our collective response to it changed over
the course of the 20th century, so did Canada's involvement.
We became a nation of "Peacekeepers," a term which
was not in popular use until 1956 when Middle East tensions
prompted Lester B. Pearson, then Canadian Secretary of State
for External Affairs, to propose the deployment of an international
peace force under the UN flag. There is a concise history
of our peacekeeping traditional available at the Department
of Foreign Affairs and International Trade under the title
Canada
and Peace Support Operations.
Return
to top
|
