Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to be present this morning at the ceremony when the Governor General presented the Pearson Peace Medal to Lieutenant General Roméo Dallaire. I was touched by his dignity and his simplicity as he received this much deserved honour and recognition for his service not only to Canada but to the world. As force commander in Rwanda he risked his life daily for those of others, and he represented the best of Canada and of Canadians.
I am proud to say that there are more than 1,500 Canadian Forces members around the world following in General Dallaire's footsteps as they work in Afghanistan, Bosnia, the Golan Heights and elsewhere in the world, bringing stability and allowing people to work in peace and develop democracies.