Mr. Speaker, Cambridge's only known surviving first world war veteran, Mr. Fred Sabatine, will be celebrating his 100th birthday on May 28.
Mr. Sabatine enlisted at the age of 15 and served with the 43rd Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium. He fought at the Battle of Vimy Ridge, regarded by many historians as a defining event in the making of our nation, and went on to earn the British War and Victory medals.
Mr. Sabatine experienced all the horrors and hardships associated with the Great War, including direct exposure to mustard gas which damaged his lungs. The sacrifices made for Canada's freedom by Mr. Sabatine's generation are beyond description.
I am honoured and privileged to express my deepest thanks on behalf of all Canadians to Mr. Sabatine and wish him a happy birthday. God bless you, Fred.