Remembrance Day
November 7, 1996
Ottawa, Ontario
"Canada is a nation blessed as few others. The freedom
and prosperity that we enjoy today are the legacy of the tremendous
sacrifices made by earlier generations of Canadians. Each year
on November 11, we set aside some time to remember those whose
courage and love of country have safeguarded all that we hold
dear.
Remembrance Day is a day of reflection, when we mourn the loss
of so many bright spirits in the cause of peace. This, the eleventh
hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, marks the end
of the first global conflict of our century. There have been
other wars since then, as shattering and as devastating to humanity,
but Canadians have always held fast to the values and ideals that
helped shape our country, and have never shirked from their commitment
to the international community. The men and women who have played
their part in the First and Second World War, the Korean and Persian
Gulf Wars, and peacekeeping operations around the world, have
been guided by the same selflessness and courage. On this day,
we salute all of them, while offering a solemn prayer for those
who did not return.
Let us remember, and let us hope that the new century will
dawn in peace and understanding for our children and our children's
children."
PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555
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