Mr. Speaker, on November 11 we remember the men and women who paid the supreme price for our freedom.
We also remember our veterans who returned from the front lines of years past, some of whom are still fighting for their survival. Tragically, today many veterans rely on food banks and other assistance to help make ends meet. For some years now, in an effort to help them, my Calgary office has been running the Food-for-Life program to help restock the shelves of the Calgary Poppy Fund.
This year, a remarkable boy from Calgary was moved by the plight of our veterans and created a Christmas card to raise money to meet their needs. Eleven-year-old Dirk Chisholm contacted famous wildlife artist Robert Bateman, who shared Dirk's concern and generously volunteered one of his paintings. Sales of these wonderful cards featuring Mr. Bateman's art will likely raise more than $45,000 for the Calgary Poppy Fund this Christmas.
My sincere thanks to young Dirk, Mr. Bateman and all generous Calgarians who are remembering and supporting our veterans both now and throughout the year.