Canadian Heritage committee  As a special day of remembrance.... We believe it's a day when every Canadian should take the time to remember, not look at it as just another holiday.

Canadian Heritage committee  The issue is not about “legal”; the issue is about the whole implication of what this bill would mean to us.

Canadian Heritage committee  No, we have not.

Canadian Heritage committee  I didn't think this was ACVA.

Canadian Heritage committee  That's okay...?

Canadian Heritage committee  Particularly for this committee, I would say that if you talk to veterans, you'll hear that they want recognition. How do we recognize their efforts when we send them overseas? How do we recognize their sacrifices? There are things such as an Afghanistan memorial that's being debated, I think, at this stage in the game.

Canadian Heritage committee  Just a little. My spouse and children are Quebeckers.

Canadian Heritage committee  While they may realize that, the position of the Legion is that we want kids to be in school. We don't want them out of school. Having served for 23 years here in Ottawa, I did many Remembrance Day assemblies at my kids' school where I was a member of the military. I came in uniform, medalled up, and away we went.

Canadian Heritage committee  That's correct.

Canadian Heritage committee  You mentioned the fact that, across Canada, some organizations will have a Remembrance Sunday, or a Remembrance Day that may not be celebrated on November 11. The Legion was very instrumental in making sure that November 11 was a day that we observe nationally, the day of remembrance.

Canadian Heritage committee  I agree.

Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you. I'm a military man with a military family. When my kids were in school, that's where I was—with my kids, at school.

Canadian Heritage committee  I guess our primary concern—and we've experienced this here in Ottawa as well at the national Remembrance Day ceremony—is with stores downtown opening up. We've come to a deal with the stores downtown, the business association in the city, and city council as well, to make sure no stores will open until after, I think, 12 o'clock in the city, because of the observance of Remembrance Day ceremonies.

Canadian Heritage committee  It's actually, as I explained in the presentation, our members who are raising the question to us. We don't pose the questions to them. They raise it from the branch level up. In the construct of the resolution, there are many paragraphs within that resolution that explain the bottom line, which would be their proposition.

Canadian Heritage committee  Honourable vice-chair and members of the committee, good afternoon and thank you very much for inviting the Royal Canadian Legion to appear before the committee to speak on Bill C-311, an act to amend the Holidays Act, regarding Remembrance Day. On behalf of our president David Flannigan and our 275,000 members, I'm expressing my pleasure at being here.