Evidence of meeting #14 for Veterans Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was insignia.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Siobhan Coady Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
The joint command will be one of these as well.
Liberal
Siobhan Coady Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
The fourth is the joint command.
I just think that if we got into the regimental insignia, the number would be substantially larger. I am thinking here, of course, that Newfoundland had its own regiment prior to Confederation.
Curator, House of Commons
Yes, in fact in the Memorial Chamber every service insignia and every unit insignia for forces that have served Canada since the ancien régime up to the end of World War II are carved into the actual stone. The entire room is filled with those insignia.
Liberal
Siobhan Coady Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
It wouldn't be a revision to eventually have that in here?
Curator, House of Commons
No, the idea is to keep it fairly simple. The important thing is that you don't want to exclude anyone. So the idea is that the general insignia are there for the highest level you can go. You might want to go down to a service, say something like the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps, but doing that would easily add another 12, and it would overwhelm the room. I think that by keeping it very simple at key locations, people will be able to identify them fairly easily.
Liberal
Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON
Could I just ask one very quick question? Have you considered perhaps having this reviewed by some of our veterans to get their comments back?
Curator, House of Commons
Actually, I wasn't thinking of going to the veterans, but to the history directorate at the Department of National Defence, which has specialists on insignia, unit insignia and others. I was going to run it by them. Basically it would be verified by the Department of National Defence and its specialists.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Sweet
Mr. Monaghan, just for my benefit and the benefit of others, when you say three-quarters of an inch relief, how does that compare with the rosettes in the library, which I was thinking all of us have probably seen?
Curator, House of Commons
The “green man” relief is approximately three-quarters of an inch. It's quite high; it's quite, quite deep.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Sweet
When you said it would be easily recognizable from that distance, my thought was how do we get a comparison? And that certainly would be one.
Thank you.
Mr. Gaudet.
Roger Gaudet Bloc Montcalm, QC
I only have one question, Mr. Chairman.
Why couldn't room 112 North be called the Veterans Room, just as we did, for example, for the Commonwealth Room. We have several rooms, why couldn't we name it the Veterans Room?
Curator, House of Commons
I believe the Speaker answered the question last year. I am not in the same position as he is for the purposes of answering that question, but I can say that there are only two—
If I may, do you mind my telling it?
Allow me to correct myself: there is only one committee room that was named in the Centre Block, and that is the Railway Room. The Reading Room was named based on its use. None of the other rooms are actually committee rooms, but rather meeting rooms.
I believe the Speaker said in his comments that it was not very practical for committees to have one room reserved for themselves because many different rooms are used.
Bloc
Roger Gaudet Bloc Montcalm, QC
Fine. I understand that. However, based on the ceremonies that take place on Remembrance Day, on November 11 every year, I'm sure that the veterans would like to have a room named after them. What that does is recall what they have done for our country.
That is my opinion. You could rethink it and install a nice plaque bearing the word "Veterans".
Curator, House of Commons
There are two other factors to take into consideration. First, we mustn't forget that Centre Block is truly dedicated to the veterans. In Centre Block where the Commonwealth Room is found, or rather the Confederation Hall or rotunda, there is an inscription that the building is dedicated to veterans from the First World War.
Curator, House of Commons
It is written in both languages. That's what I think is most interesting. As a Quebecker, I always thought it was interesting that they thought to inscribe it in both languages at the time. In other words, this building is their building.
Bloc
Roger Gaudet Bloc Montcalm, QC
Yes. However it is called the Centre Block. It should be called the Veterans Block.