Last week our nation came together, united in observance of Remembrance Day.
In Wellington-Halton Hills, I was able to attend cenotaph services and Legion events in Acton, Georgetown, Erin, Glen Williams, Aboyne, Salem and Fergus, along with many of my colleagues in elected public service. The crowds were larger than usual, and the emotions we all feel in November were especially poignant.
This year is significant for many reasons: it is the 200th anniversary of the end of the War of 1812, the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, the 70th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, and the 25th anniversary of the beginning of the end of the Cold War.
It is also the year when our mission in Afghanistan has concluded, but our mission against the extremists of the Islamic State (ISIS) has just begun. And in recent days, Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent of the Canadian Forces was deliberately run over by a radicalized jihadist lunatic in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. That same week, in our nation’s capital, the National War Memorial and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was insulted in the worst possible way by a cowardly attack on Corporal Nathan Cirillo, who was proudly posted there, in ceremonial and silent tribute. All across Canada, our thoughts and prayers are with the Vincent and Cirillo families, and all of our Forces personnel. We reflected, we wore the poppy and we remembered. It was the least we could do.
So fortunate to live in Canada, the best country in the world, we owe our liberties, freedoms and democratic rights to those who were and are today prepared to fight and sacrifice all to defend these cherished values,.
I want to express my sincere thanks to the members of the Royal Canadian Legion, who do such great work in our communities, and for ensuring that we will never forget.
With the municipal elections in Ontario now over, I want to congratulate and thank all the candidates who sought public office on our local councils.
As I’ve said time and again, I believe that one of the most important partnerships in government is the one that exists between the Province of Ontario and our local municipalities. I look forward to working together with our new councils and school boards, on behalf of our constituents.