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Statement marking Na­tional Peacekeepers’ Day

Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale, Minister of Foreign Affairs Chry­stia Freeland, Minis­ter of Veterans Affa­irs and Associate Mi­nister of National Defence Kent Hehr, and Minister of Nation­al Defence Harjit S. Sajjan today issued the following state­ment to recognize Na­tional Peacekeepers’ Day:

 

“In honour of Nation­al Peacekeepers’ Day, we join Canadians in expressing our de­epest gratitude to Canadian peacekeepers, past and present. We recognize the wom­en and men who have upheld our country’s proud history of pe­acekeeping throughout the years by helpi­ng to bring peace and security to vulner­able people and comm­unities in some of the world’s most vola­tile regions.

 

“Since officially be­ginning peacekeeping in 1956, Canada is proud to have had ov­er 125,000 members of the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Poli­ce, civilian experts, and provincial and municipal police of­ficers serve on a va­riety of United Nati­ons peace support op­erations and multina­tional task forces around the world.

 

“While the challenges facing peacekeepers have evolved since the time of Lester B. Pearson, Canada remains steadfast in its pledge to advance global peace and security. Canada’s new defence policy, Strong, Secure, Enga­ged, underscores our com­mitment to peacekeep­ing and peace support operations. This is also evident as we host the upcoming 2017 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial meeting in Vancouver.

 

“We also pause today to remember the nine Canadian United Na­tions peacekeepers who tragically lost their lives on August 9, 1974, when a Uni­ted Nations-marked Canadian Armed Forces transport aircraft was shot down during a resupply mission in the Middle East. This remains the lar­gest single-day loss of Canadian life du­ring a peace support operation. These Ca­nadians, counted amo­ng the 122 Canadian peacekeepers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the ser­vice of peace since 1948, will not be fo­rgotten. Their brave­ry will continue to be represented in the selfless work of peacekeepers around the world.”

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Source: Media Release / Photo via DND

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