Mr. Speaker, 100 years ago today, Albert Christian was born in Waterloo, Ontario. At age 17, he was in the local barbershop and overheard two older guys talking about heading to London, where they were going to enlist in the Canadian Army. Bert asked if he could tag along, which he did.
Bert passed all the tests, exams and interviews and was enlisted, despite having lied about his age. He served in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany with the Essex Scottish Regiment. It was in Germany that he fought on the front lines in the Hochwald Forest against the Nazis.
Bert had three brothers who served in the war as well. All four brothers returned home from the war alive and well. He met another four brothers in Europe, who were from Manitoulin Island and who also returned home safe and sound. They invited Bert to join them when they returned to Canada, and he did. That is where he met his future wife, Maurine.
At the age of 63, Bert retired to Owen Sound to be close to family. He had two children, David and Rick, and has two grandchildren, Candice and Cory. One saying Bert always says is “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away”, and he still says that he would do it all again.
I wish a happy 100th birthday to Bert. Pro patria.