Mr. Speaker, unlike their American neighbours, Canadians have always buried their war dead in cemeteries located close to where they fell in combat. Their names can be found on monuments throughout the world, including at Vimy and Beaumont-Hamel.
Here in Canada, there are memorials to Canada's war dead both in larger centres and in small towns and villages. We pass by these symbols without paying much attention, but they bear silent witness to our past and are a reminder of the sacrifice made by those who died for love of their country and of freedom.
I am happy to be able to report that these stone monuments are not our only means of paying tribute to these individuals. In Quebec, cities bear the names of places that saw combat in World War I, such as Ypres and Vimy, and there are a good number of lakes and rivers with names like Arras, Verdun, Armentières and Amiens.
I can think of no more appropriate tribute to Canadians who gave their lives in the war than to be commemorated in perpetuity-