Mr. Speaker, retired officers Lee‑Anne Quinn and Hélène Le Scelleur found some inexcusable errors on two sculptures honouring fallen Canadian servicemen and women near CFB Trenton.
The bronze monument Presence in Absence is meant to honour 67 servicemen and women for making the ultimate sacrifice. What a shock it was for the two women veterans when they found their own names on it. However, this was not the only error. Of the 67 soldiers listed, only 20 made the ultimate sacrifice. Twelve are still alive, and four have never worn the uniform.
No one noticed the mistake before the monument was unveiled in 2022. Neither the soldiers who are still alive nor their families were invited to the unveiling. What an appalling lack of respect. The minister owes veterans an explanation and, above all, an apology. After this fiasco and the Afghanistan memorial debacle, it is clear that Ottawa is a monument to incompetence.