Mr. Speaker, today is Navy Day, a day dedicated to the men and women of the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Coast Guard and the exceptional sailor program.
Our senior service traces its roots back to Tudor times in England, where a standing navy was established long before a standing army and, of course, an air force was still a theoretical da Vinci dream.
The Royal Canadian Navy's beginnings date back to 1910, growing quickly during the First World War. By the end of the Second World War, Canada had the third largest navy in the world. The Canadian Coast Guard, formed in 1962, now boasts a fleet of more than a hundred vessels of various purposes and sizes.
Now, challenges do remain with procurement, the shipbuilding program and partisan interference, and Bravo Zulu, Admiral Norman. However, today we salute the men and women who have served in war and peace and who serve now in Canadian waters and around the world.
Parati Vero Parati, Ready, Aye Ready.