Mr. Speaker, May 5 marks the 70th anniversary of Liberation Day, the day when the Nazi forces occupying the Netherlands were pushed out and a starving people ravaged by war was liberated.
During the nine-month offensive, more than 7,600 Canadians lost their lives and many more were wounded.
Thousands of Canadians lie buried far away from the homes and families they left behind. Today, the bonds of mutual respect and friendship between our communities and countries endure, forged by the sacrifices made in the name of freedom and strengthened by our shared values of freedom, democracy and rule of law.
To the Canadian veterans who played such a crucial role in the liberation of the Netherlands, we will never forget their sacrifice.