‘Our freedom must always be cherished and defended’

By George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The bravery and significance of Canada’s military — now and in the past — prompted an MLA to speak to the subject on the last daily sitting of the legislature before Remembrance Day. 

Justin Wright, the UCP member for Cypress-Medicine Hat in Alberta, said: “As we are often reminded, freedom is not free. It is earned through the sacrifice of our fellow Canadians. Our freedom must always be cherished and defended. Always.” 

Wright continued: “The tragedies of war will never fade from our memory, nor will the courage of our soldiers. It’s our duty to remember these brave souls and to strive to embody the morals and values they upheld, values that define us as Albertans and Canadians.” 

A moment of silence will be observed at 11 a.m. tomorrow for Canadians to reflect on the country’s military losses and sacrifices. Soldiers and other dignitaries will lay wreaths at cenotaphs and in community halls across the country. 

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month reflects the date and time in 1918 that the ceasefire was set to come into effect at the end of what was known then as the Great War and “the war to end all wars.” 

The Books of Remembrance in the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill commemorate more than 120,000 Canadians who have lost their lives in wars, peacekeeping missions and other military service since Confederation in 1867. 

“They’re our brothers and sisters, mothers, fathers and friends. They shaped and shared our hopes, dreams and aspirations for a future. In life they were us, and in death they sacrificed those dreams to preserve ours,” said Wright, the parliamentary secretary for rural health in southern Alberta. 

Soldiers today stand ready to respond “at any moment” to conflicts around the world, in places like Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa. “They carry the torch in the boot steps of the fallen soldiers, honouring their sacrifices while vowing their own to continue to protect their country.” 

The authorized target of the Canadian Armed Forces regular force is 71,500, according to the federal government, plus a reserve of 30,000. The actual authorized strength was about 16,500 people short of the target in September 2023. 

“We will not take our freedoms for granted. We will always honour the men and women who have served our country and continue to serve our country,” Wright said in his statement. 

“We will support and protect them, just as they have done for us. We will always acknowledge the profound loss of those who have fallen.  Lest we forget.”