January 07, 2005
Ottawa, Ontario

NEWS RELEASE

Prime Minister Paul Martin today announced that Saturday, January 8th, 2005 has been declared a national day of mourning, in honour of those lost or missing following the earthquakes and tsunamis that struck countries in South and South-East Asia, as well as the east coast of Africa, on December 26, 2004.

“The sense of sadness that Canadians feel in the aftermath of this tragedy is immense,” said Prime Minister Martin. “I invite all Canadians to pay their respects as a nation on January 8th. To the families and friends of those whom we will remember and hope for this Saturday, your loss has touched us all.”

The Prime Minister added that he encourages Canadians in all parts of the country to attend any local services being held, including the Ceremony of Commemoration being held at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa. The public are invited to attend the national ceremony, which will begin at noon. Those unable to do so may choose to observe a moment of silence at approximately 1:00 pm EST. The Ceremony will be an opportunity for all Canadians to honour the memory of those who lost their lives or have been touched by these tragic events. It will also be a time to express hope for those who are still missing.

Those wishing to attend are encouraged to arrive early, and to use public transportation where possible since parking at Lansdowne Park is limited. Canadians will also be able to follow the ceremony on a number of Canadian television and radio networks which will broadcast the event live.

For further information, please visit http://www.canada.gc.ca/tsunami, or call
1 800 O Canada (1 800-622-6232). Canadians with good reason to believe that Canadian friends or relatives are in the affected areas can contact Foreign Affairs Canada's Emergency Operations Centre at 1-800-606-5499, or visit the above website. Further information on how to help can also be found at this site.

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