Mr. Speaker, as we begin Veterans' Week and we approach Remembrance Day, I had the privilege of co-hosting a reception this afternoon for the Royal Canadian Air Force Foundation under the leadership of Jeremy Diamond.
When Canadians think of veterans, minds can often drift to historical black and white photos. We remain deeply appreciative of the freedoms that they fought for, but there are also heroes who walk among us today. They are our neighbours, parents of young children and colleagues that we work with, and they bore heavy burdens in modern conflicts like Afghanistan, the Gulf, and many other missions.
By supporting modern veterans and inspiring tomorrow's aviation leaders, the Royal Canadian Air Force Foundation bridges our history with our future through STEM scholarships, with recipients joining us today, including Anjana Ramaswamy, Clare Balkissoon, Arabella Allen, Nehsy Poinen, Declan McCloskey, Virajdeep Rattan, Lucy Levy and Vincent Bujold-Roux.
Let us stand united behind our veterans, past and present, and remember that a life of service is the only life worth living.