Mr. Speaker, this week, I was very excited and proud to participate in the launch of the new Royal 22nd Regiment museum at the Citadelle of Québec.
The Citadelle is one of the largest museums to showcase Canada's francophone military heritage, second only to the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. This year, the Royal 22nd Regiment, also called the “Vandoos”, is celebrating its 100th anniversary. An avant-garde exhibit, entitled “Je me souviens”, teaches about the regiment's history, mission, exploits and heroes.
I was the only federal representative at the launch because, unfortunately, the Conservative government did not want to send anyone to attend this very special event. It did not want to hear the Royal 22nd Regiment's military music, just like it does not want to hear the military music played at international events such as the International Festival of Military Bands in Quebec City, or the Tattoo of Freedom in Caen, France, in honour of the 70th anniversary of the Normandy invasion. It is a disgrace. The Conservatives have abandoned our soldiers, our veterans and our history.