Mr. Speaker, this coming Sunday, Canadians will pause to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic.
Canada declared war on Germany on September 10, 1939.
For six long years, members of the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Merchant Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force faced perilous conditions in a titanic struggle for survival in the longest battle of the second world war, the Battle of the Atlantic.
The liberation of Europe depended on the ability of the allies to deliver their precious cargo of goods and personnel across the Atlantic, making their way through the menace of enemy submarine wolf packs, hazardous fog and raging winter gales.
Canadians shared in some of the worst hardships imaginable. Thousands paid the ultimate price, leaving us with a legacy of bravery and sacrifice in the cause of freedom.
I invite my hon. colleagues and all Canadians to pay tribute to those who fought in the Battle of the Atlantic.