Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Chair and members of the committee, thank you for inviting me to appear before you once again to discuss the National Monument to Canada's Mission in Afghanistan.
From October 2001 to March 2014, Canada took part in its most complex mission since the Korean War. More than 40,000 uniformed Canadians and hundreds of civilians and government representatives served in Afghanistan and the surrounding region, from the departure of the first ships until the last troops returned.
Tragically, 158 members of our Canadian Armed Forces died in service to the mission along with seven Canadian civilians. Thousands more returned physically and psychologically wounded, many with permanent scars that they have had to live with ever since.
In 2019, our government announced that a national monument to Canada's mission in Afghanistan would be designed and built at LeBreton Flats, right here in Ottawa. Its purpose would be to give Canadians a permanent place to reflect on the service, commitment and sacrifice of those who served in Afghanistan and the support provided to them at home.
Veterans Affairs Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage opened a joint design competition in August of that same year. Teams of professional artists, architects and landscape architects, as well as other urban design professionals, were invited to submit references and samples of previous projects for consideration.
It was understood from the outset that veterans, the families of members fallen in combat, serving members and the public at large would be invited to consider the finalists' proposals before a design concept was selected by an expert jury.
Five team finalists were ultimately selected. After their design concepts were unveiled in May 2021, Canadians had an opportunity to express their opinion of their preferred design concept from among the five finalists selected by the jury.
After 12,048 valid online surveys were analyzed, the entry from Team Stimson was found to have resonated most with respondents, receiving between 52% and 64.8% support across all questions. In other words, a preferred design concept emerged from the online survey, at least among veterans, those who served in Canada's mission in Afghanistan, their family members, serving members and the public. The results were compelling, and, as such, the Government of Canada decided to listen to veterans and those with a connection to the mission in Afghanistan in selecting the preferred design concept.
Based on that information, and following a careful review, the Government of Canada selected the design concept of Team Stimson for the National Monument to Canada's Mission in Afghanistan, and that selection was announced at the Canadian War Museum in June of this year.
We thank the five teams for the time and effort they put into this important project. We deeply appreciate and respect the work done by the members of the jury who reviewed the many entries before selecting and evaluating the five design finalists.
The professionalism and personal experience of the jury were much appreciated and were an integral part of the process. However, it became clear as the process advanced that the contribution of veterans and individuals associated with the mission had to be a decisive factor in selecting the design concept.
Mr. Chair and members of the committee, as we approach Veterans' Week and Remembrance Day next month, Canadians will soon be reflecting on what so many have given up in the name of peace, freedom, human rights and democracy in the world.
In Afghanistan, our troops suffered devastating losses of life and debilitating physical and psychological injuries.
We owe these veterans a debt that we may never entirely be able to repay. Consequently, the least we can do is select the design that best corresponds to the monument that the veterans and individuals associated with the Afghanistan mission wish to see erected. This is an excellent way to express our gratitude for their service.
Thank you once again for inviting me to be with you today.
We will be pleased to answer your questions.