Veterans Affairs Committee on Oct. 6th, 2011

[Wladyslaw Lizon, Conservative, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

I would like to continue on the involvement of young people. With the great technology that we have and all these plans for involving people on social media, etc., are we moving towards the time where actually even celebrations will be virtual, instead of gathering a great number of people? What do you think?

[Steven Clark]

I don't think we will ever come to that point, at least in the immediate future. When we see the number of participants that is continuing to grow, both in local Remembrance Day ceremonies and here in Ottawa, I think that counters the perception that perhaps it may become more virtual as we move towards more virtual in our own lives.

I think people need to have that contact. They need to visit actual memorials and cenotaphs to the fallen so that they can see them, touch them, and experience them in that way—a sensation that they won't get if they're doing something via electronic or social media. It is another option, another way, but I don't think it will replace the current way to commemorate.

[Brad White]

I will just add that when people come together as a group and celebrate Remembrance Day as a group, they feel as a group, and they get a sense from being in that group. So I think it's very important that they get that full sense of the significance of the ceremony. I'm hoping it never happens that it's only ever virtual. I'm hoping that people actually come out and gather together to celebrate together.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much, gentlemen.

That ends round one. Thank you very much. We're going to do two more in round two, because a point of order is going to come up at the end of the session.

Mr. Genest, you have four minutes.

[Réjean Genest, NDP, Shefford, QC]

Have you considered making November 11 a national statutory holiday? The work of soldiers and veterans is important. That might be the right way for the federal government to really thank them. Holidays are often designated to celebrate this or that. There are all kinds of national holidays, but I can't understand why we don't have a national statutory holiday to honour veterans.

[Brad White]

What do you mean by statutory?

[Réjean Genest, NDP, Shefford, QC]

It means no work.

[Brad White]

No work.

A national holiday?

[Réjean Genest, NDP, Shefford, QC]

Yes, exactly.

[Brad White]

Our group has talked about that a lot. We feel it is better to keep students in school. That way, they have an opportunity to attend ceremonies at school. What do you think kids today are going to do when they have a day off school? Probably sit in front of the TV and play with their little technological devices, don't you think? We think it is better for them to be in school, where they can attend a Remembrance Day ceremony.

[Réjean Genest, NDP, Shefford, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

The NDP still has some time left, if there's any other question.

[Réjean Genest, NDP, Shefford, QC]

Yes, I would like to talk a bit about the poppy. I really appreciate the fact that a flower, and not a gun or other similar object, was chosen to symbolize the military. Do you know the true origins of the poppy? Why was it chosen?

I was told—and whether or not this is accurate, I am not sure—that poppies grew in the battlefields and meadows of Europe, just as our fields are covered in daisies and dandelions. It seems that soldiers would bring the poppy home as a souvenir because it was so beautiful.

During a day of fighting, there would be smoke, and the next day, the sun would be shining and the meadows covered in flowers. That is the story I was told. Is it true? Is that how the tradition came to be?

[Steven Clark]

That is correct. In battlefields in World War I, the soil became rich with lime, poppies flourished, and it was that symbol, that flower, that a lot of the soldiers recall. Because of the commonality, the presence of the poppy during that time, it became identifiable as a symbol of remembrance, originating in France, being brought over to the United States and Canada back in 1921. Since that time, it has stood as our symbol of remembrance, and in fact it's been accepted internationally. So your thoughts are spot on; they are correct.

[Brad White]

It also comes from McCrae's famous poem, In Flanders Fields, and that is really what immortalized the poppy as a symbol of remembrance, because in Europe they're everywhere.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much.

For our final questions we'll go to Mr. Storseth for four minutes.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Thank you very much, gentlemen.

One of the things I'd like to ask you about is how we go about commemorating the Second World War, Korean War, and First World War veterans, as well as incorporating the newer, modern-day veterans into that, and somehow become more relevant to them so that we can draw more of them to the legions so that they can become a very pertinent part of the future generation moving on.

[Brad White]

The military, as I said, is a brotherhood. It's interesting that we all compete against each other when we're in that brotherhood. World War I veterans didn't accept World War II veterans. World War II veterans didn't accept Korean veterans. Korean veterans didn't accept the peacekeepers. And on it went. What we're trying to do is reverse that trend.

Recently, in the last couple of years, we put out some commemorative things to recognize the Korean War veterans. That was the first time, and it was very welcomed within the Korean War veteran association that the Legion was finally reaching out to Korean War veterans and recognizing them as veterans. We've initiated this program with the Welcome Home Troops. We realize that the game in Afghanistan is not over yet. It's not a benign environment. We still have years to go before all the troops are pulled home, but we wanted to do something to say that we understand what they've been through. They are welcomed into the branches, and we want them there not just to help us out, but also to commemorate what happened in their war and those who've come before them.

For us, Remembrance Day is a day where we commemorate all veterans, past, current, and future. It's a day where they all come together to remember the sacrifices that were made. That's the importance that we want to have with Remembrance Day. It is a day of remembrance of the sacrifices made on our behalf. We want to bring everybody together.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

One of the organizations that has obviously been very closely affiliated with the Legion over the years is the ladies' auxiliary. Is there a lot of work or any thoughts going on in how we can incorporate modern-day veterans' spouses and families into these kinds of core groups, so that it's somewhat of a family environment as well for the spouses, particularly while guys are deployed abroad? In Cold Lake, we have guys in Libya right now. The spouses are always looking for those contact points.

[Brad White]

Yes, and they're there too. It doesn't necessarily have to be as a member of the LA. The ladies' auxiliary is extremely important to branch life. If it wasn't for a lot of the ladies' auxiliaries, the branches wouldn't be able to function, because they do raise a lot of money. They do the cooking. They do all the things in trying to raise money to support the branch.

The military psyche and mentality is that of a closed family. When we deployed we had rear parties that looked after our families, internal to the military. Every base now, whenever a unit deploys, has that internal organization called the rear party that looks after all of the needs of the family. All that the spouse of the family needs to do is contact the rear party and ask them what they need and it will be provided to them.

The military on bases tends to group together. What we're trying to do is talk to our branches that are close to make sure they have very good ties with the base organization and that they know what kind of support we can provide them through the branch, through our service officers, and through the ladies' auxiliary. As we get that information out, that's where we're trying to assist those people.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Absolutely. I'm familiar with that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Brian, I'm sorry, that's the four minutes. Thank you very much.

I want to thank both of you very much for joining us today. I know we're going to see you again as the season goes on. Again, thank you for all the work that you do on behalf of the veterans. We very much appreciate it.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

We'll take a brief break.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Mr. Stoffer has a point of order, and I believe the Conservative side is aware of it.