Mr. Speaker, the men and women of Canada's armed forces have served this nation with incomparable dedication. Time and time again, they have stepped forward to take a stand against tyranny and to help restore peace in times of conflict.
They left their towns and cities, their farms and fishing communities to make a difference, and they did: people like Ed Carter-Edwards who flew in Bomber Command and survived Buchenwald; men like Arthur Russell who stormed Red Beach at Dieppe; men who braved the North Atlantic.
Today's men and women in uniform are carrying on that tradition. Whether in the South African war, two world wars, Korea, the Gulf War, Afghanistan, Libya, many peacekeeping and peace support missions, Canadian men and women have answered the call without fail, more than 2.3 million since Confederation.
Sadly, more than 117,000 have given their lives to preserve the freedoms and values we cherish today.
This Veterans Week, it is our duty to remember the sacrifices and achievements of these brave Canadians. The peace and security we continue to enjoy today is their legacy. It is a debt that can never be repaid but it is a debt that can never be forgotten.
Lest we forget.