Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My name is Steve Gregory. I'm a business owner from Montreal and the honorary colonel of the 2nd Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery. Before I begin, I need to explain to you why commemorations are so important to me.
In 2006, my then 10-year-old son Erik produced a history project about a specific battle in Sicily. It was very difficult for him to complete. We could find very few resources. Nothing was available that talked about the Canadians in Sicily in 1943. By chance, a year later, I visited a museum in Sicily that was dedicated to the allied landing, and I was disappointed. There was no Canadian exhibit, only a poster and a couple of small artifacts you could fit in a cup. Later that day, I visited our cemetery at Agira, not far away, and the register listed four visitors since the beginning of that year. It was then August 1.
These experiences led me to feel that we had abandoned the memory of our fallen, that we had neglected to honour their sacrifice. It stuck with me as a civilian. Motivated by this perception of injustice, I organized Operation Husky 2013 and 2018. They were large-scale, civilian commemorations in Sicily.
It is with this deep conviction that I share three ongoing projects.
The Walk for Remembrance and Peace is a 325-kilometre marked walking trail along the path of the 1st Canadian Division troops, from the landing at Pachino to Adrano, with an accompanying history book and walking guide. We hope that it engages Sicilians in remembrance and creates an economic engine that sustains their involvement. Imitating the Camino de Santiago, we're hoping that this walk becomes known as the “Canadian Camino”.
The second invites youth from grades 10, 11 and 12 into a conversation about what makes peace possible. It's called the International Forum for Peace, Security and Prosperity. This annual event and student contest will be held online and in Sicily. It brings together high school students and officer cadets with academics to explore the role of our military and the institutions of public order and justice in establishing the basis for a flourishing peace and, ultimately, societal prosperity.
The third, Operation Husky, in 2023 and again in 2028 will commemorate the anniversary of the allied landing in Sicily. Here we'll honour our fallen and celebrate the rebirth of a peaceful, secure and prosperous society. As in past activities, a group of Canadians will walk the 325-kilometre path. It will take us 20 days.
Two strategic imperatives are guiding my team, and I hope they might be helpful to you.
First, we are focusing on engaging and educating our youth. The forum provides a critical link to commemoration in the context of the outcome that so many sacrificed their lives to achieve, and that is peace. In this forum, students can share perspectives, both historical and contemporary, with military officer cadets, academics and civilian leaders from western liberal democracies, who are preparing to fight or who have fought for peace. We're pushing out the contest to over 11,000 Canadian high schools. We're convinced that our youth need to feel they own the commemorative space and are deliberately brought on board as true partners in commemoration events. We must open the door wider to them.
Second, we are collaborating with, and leveraging, civilian organizations at home and abroad. Currently, many produce excellent educational materials, engaging programs and incredible outreach opportunities for youth. In a quick search, you'll find at least seven not-for-profit and private organizations distributing commemorative programs to Canadian high schools, and that's above and beyond what VAC is doing.
Sometimes services overlap and even compete for precious resources. While competition is obviously great for innovation and efficiency, a lack of collaboration can result in confusion and waste. To date, we've partnered with seven collaborative organizations, including: the 3rd Battery of Montreal Artillery, Valour Canada, the Conference of Defence Associations Institute, the Canadian Defence Academy, the Italian Army general staff, the Global Peace Institute and the Institute for Economics and Peace out of Australia.
This emphasis on collaboration is even more important when working overseas. During COVID-19, on November 11 a network of Italian civilians visited many of the 21 cemeteries, laying wreaths on our behalf. These valuable relationships are only possible if Canadians maintain their relationships and don't just show up every five years.
A commemoration strategy for the 21st century that leverages civilian volunteers and public-private partnerships must be deliberate and persistent. Collaboration, coupled with diversity and genuine inclusivity of our youth, should, wherever possible, use local partners to engage our youth and inspire a spirit of remembrance.
My hope is that VAC could play a central role in orchestrating and harnessing these civilian initiatives. There are just so many of them, all great citizens trying to do the right thing.
Thank you.