Nov. 11 is a solemn day in Canada and around the world. Every year since that day in 1918 we have remembered those who served and those who lost their lives in the Great War, and the wars that have followed.
2021 marks the 105th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, a horrific battle that lasted from July to November 1916. For many months along the Western Front, troops defending the greater good lived and fought in terrible conditions. More than 24,000 Canadians lost their lives at the Battle of the Somme, including several from Perth—Wellington.
Following the First World War, surviving veterans and family members in our communities constructed cenotaphs to commemorate those who did not come home. In the years that have followed, additional plaques and monuments have been added to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in subsequent wars.
These cenotaphs share the names of those brave soldiers who once lived in the communities we call home. Each one of them was a citizen like us who lived, worked, and had family in Perth or Wellington County. Each one of them answered the call of service to fight for our country. Each one of them made the ultimate sacrifice in the cause of freedom.
On Remembrance Day, and throughout the year, we should all take a moment to visit these important sites, read their names, and pay tribute to their memories.
In my time as the Member of Parliament for Perth-Wellington it has been a tremendous honour to meet our brave veterans and thank them for their service. Whether they served in the Second World War, the Korean War, Afghanistan, or in one of many peacekeeping missions, these brave Canadians left one of the safest and most peaceful nations in the world to face danger overseas.
They fought for our country, for our freedom, and for our future. We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.
This Veterans’ Week it remains as important as ever to thank our Veterans for their service, their courage, and their patriotism.
John Nater, Perth-Wellington MPP