Mr. Speaker, early in World War II Canada commenced her struggle to keep the North Atlantic lifeline open. Winston Churchill pointed out that this battle was crucial to allied victory during the second world war. Arguably the Battle of the Atlantic was Canada's most important contribution to that victory.
In this the Year of the Veteran, thousands of sailors, both naval and merchant, and elements of the Canadian air force will be honoured for participating in the longest battle of the war. They will honour their friends who made the extreme sacrifice.
The Canadian Naval Memorial Trust in conjunction with Canadian and other allied navies will be participating in the Battle of the Atlantic ceremonies being held in Northern Ireland from May 6 to 8.
The HMCS Sackville is a veteran of the Battle of the Atlantic. She is the living symbol of that monumental achievement. Today, as we should be every day, we are reminded of the profound sacrifice of young Canadians from coast to coast in the defence of freedom and liberty.
Congratulations to all who honour and preserve the legacy of the HMCS Sackville .