Mr. Speaker, today comes with the news of the tragic death and injury of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. As we collectively mourn their loss, another branch of our armed forces continues to make Canada a safe place.
The Canadian rangers reached the magnetic north pole on Tuesday reaffirming Canada's sovereignty in the north. The rangers braved minus 50 degree windchills, shifting ocean ice, and polar bears.
Founded in 1947 as the first line of defence in the north, this patrol marked the rangers' 60th anniversary and was the largest and longest patrol in their history. The rangers in Nunavut are renowned for their superb winter survival skills, making them among the world's best at winter tracking and search and rescue.
Over the years the rangers have trained with their counterparts in the regular forces. I know they join with us in expressing their deepest condolences to the families and colleagues of our fallen soldiers.