Mr. Speaker, recently, I had the honour to pay tribute to the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service, also known as the Wrens, at the 83rd anniversary of its training establishment in my hometown of Cambridge.
Established in 1942, HMCS Conestoga was located in a former detention centre for “wayward” girls. The facility that was originally meant to punish women was transformed into a place to empower them. Their courage was equal to any sailor's, yet for too long their stories were untold, stories such as that of Isabel Macneill, who was trained here before going on to be the navy's first female commanding officer.
We remember not only the Wrens but all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for country. Within the House of Commons lies a simple, dark room, and in that room are books with the name of every single Canadian who gave their life to fight for freedom. If ever someone visits Ottawa, I welcome them to pay tribute to the heroes in these pages in the Room of Remembrance.