Mr. Speaker, over 93,000 Canadian soldiers took part in the Italian campaign in World War II. Six thousand paid the ultimate price and are buried in military cemeteries throughout Italy, and 19,000 more were wounded. These facts are little known in Canada and Italy.
The spirit, sacrifices, and commitment of these Canadians led to many defining moments of the campaign, and their actions have been described as heroic and pivotal. However, Canada's participation has been mostly misidentified as American or British. Thanks to the work of the Peace Through Valour committee this is changing. The committee unveiled a monument in June 2016 at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto and is currently working on a book.
On behalf of everyone in this place I want to recognize the Peace Through Valour committee for its work shining a light on Canadian soldiers' efforts in Italy.