Canadian Heritage Committee on Feb. 23rd, 2017

[Dave Geddes]

I sit on a committee called Veterans Organizations Services Committee of Nova Scotia. It's only one province, I agree, but 13 different veterans organizations are represented on this committee, and we have talked for years and years. No, I did not ask them specifically if they would like to see a change, but I would almost want to bet that out of the 13, 10 or more would likely agree.

[Wilma McNeill]

I spoke to the Royal Canadian Air Force Association in Niagara Falls a few years ago, and it passed there. They would send a letter and talk about it and get something done with regard to Remembrance Day.

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Thank you. I think I'm out of time.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Pierre Nantel]

Thank you, Mr. Waugh. You are very understanding.

Unless I'm mistaken, I think the entire committee would be favourable to hearing Mr. FitzGerald's answer to Mr. Waugh's question.

You may answer, Mr. FitzGerald.

[John FitzGerald]

For example, I worked with our Legion in this province, most recently at a ceremony when the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. gave a national historic person recognition to Padre Nangle. He built the Beaumont-Hamel monument and our war memorial here in St. John's. The provincial command of the Royal Canadian Legion has the 11th of November. We have the first of July. I don't wish to speak for them, but I would be very surprised if they were not already quite pleased to see a formalization of a recognition of Remembrance Day, if you use that word, legal or otherwise.

When November 11 is a Saturday or a Sunday, a mechanism is used in this province to hold the public holiday, the day off, on the Monday. If Remembrance Day falls on a Tuesday or a Wednesday or a Friday, the ceremonies have been held on those days. According to my memory, in the last 10 to 15 to 20 years, the crowds have been enormous, and they're only growing larger, with many families, many students, many veterans, and service people from across Canada.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Pierre Nantel]

Thank you, Mr. FitzGerald.

We have five minutes, time for one last member.

Darrell Samson, of the Liberal Party, has the floor.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Thank you.

Thank you very much, all three of you, for being here today and sharing your experiences and your opinions on this important bill.

Mrs. McNeill, you must be quite active if you've written a letter to every prime minister since you've been around. That's impressive. It reminds me of my dad. Whenever he wasn't happy, he just wrote an article or wrote to someone. That's pretty impressive, and I thank all of you for your participation.

I always ask myself, “What does it do, and what does it not do?” The legalization of it, if you want, is going to put it on the same level as Victoria Day and Canada Day. I wouldn't mind it being there. It's nice to have a fair field.

[Wilma McNeill]

That's right.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

It does do that.

Is it symbolic or not? I'm not sure, but it shows that for the 150th anniversary, we are now legalizing it and it's going to be up there with the rest of the important dates for us.

What doesn't it do? I can't see that it's going to take away anything. I've been listening, I've read it, I've been part of this discussion for a while. It doesn't take anything away at all, but it adds. As a former educator, I can tell you that this day and the week running into Remembrance Day are being celebrated unbelievably in Nova Scotia. It's an important celebration and it brings out a lot of people, and all of you have mentioned that more and more people are coming out.

I have a quick question for each one of you that will take 30 seconds. Why do you think that lately more and more people are coming out?

[Wilma McNeill]

Well, it could be that in our area I'm trying to push them to come out and comment on it. They know I'm not going away.

It's very important that we honour the veterans and have this day. I mean, I thought we were going to have it two years ago, but an election is always called, and that can happen. I can give you other examples, but I don't want to talk about the problems. We're here today to get the federal government to do this, and I commend them for doing it.

I called Colin Fraser when it happened and said I'm there to support you, and he said that's great.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Actually, there will be no election for almost three years now, so we're safe on that front.

[Wilma McNeill]

That's right, and when they have the opportunity to do it, I think they should do it. If they don't, I'll have to start some more letters. I have stacks of letters that I have written over 27 years. I have never given up. Some people don't answer, but I write again.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Well, we thank you very much for that.

[Wilma McNeill]

We have to have the day, and I'm asking this committee to do what they have the ability to do. If I was sitting there I'd be—

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

We know how you would vote. Thank you.

Could the other two make a quick comment?

[Dave Geddes]

I'll make a comment from my perspective. I'm not saying I'm right.

I think that when we started to bring our veterans home, as you could see by the media and all the people paying their respects on the Highway of Heroes, that raised everything. Before, most of our veterans were buried in foreign lands. It's not so now. That's when we saw a spike in everybody attending a service.

I think that was the catalyst, and I think we should continue it.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Thank you, Mr. Geddes.

[John FitzGerald]

I have one final word, Mr. Chair.

Every generation has the responsibility to write our history and to study and teach and share our history. What has happened in the last generation, as you know, is that we have instant access to everything across Canada with social media, with Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. The tweeting that comes out of all corners of Canada is brilliant, because we now know this country and we know our cultures and history in a way that we've never had it before before.

What's happened as well across the country is that people have access. We're only several clicks away on the computer from the military and the service records. I'm not necessarily a believer in complete unbridled progress, but we have gotten better at knowing our Canadian history. That will only improve. This is a mechanism for helping that.

You asked for the downside. Respectfully, I suggest to the members of the committee that I don't see a downside. This can only help our identity as a country and in sharing our experiences and our diversity with all Canadians.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Pierre Nantel]

Thank you, Mr. FitzGerald, Ms. McNeill, and Mr. Geddes.

Mr. FitzGerald and Mr. Geddes, we're going to have to say goodbye.

Thank you very much, both of you.

We invite Mrs. McNeill to stay in the room if she wants, to observe the deliberations we will have in clause-by-clause review of the bill.

I will call on Mr. Philippe Méla.

Mr. Méla is the legislative clerk, and we can consult him on all of this.

Mr. Brassard has the floor.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Do we do clause-by-clause study in camera when we deal with a bill? No?

Okay. Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Pierre Nantel]

Mr. Méla is going to join us. We can check with him if we have questions about the procedure.

We will take a short break to give people time to take their seats.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Pierre Nantel]

Good afternoon.

We will now proceed with clause-by-clause consideration.

I have been informed that the Liberals have an amendment to clause 1.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[Le vice-président, NDP, Pierre Nantel]

You have a point of order, Mr. Brassard?

You may go ahead.