Remembrance Day is Saturday.
It's an opportunity for us to pause and pay tribute to those who have served and continue to serve our country. It's a chance to reflect on the sacrifices made by others so that we can have the freedoms that we enjoy.
Remembrance Day should not be an excuse to sleep in and it's not just another long weekend. Yes, it's nice to have it on a Saturday this year, but the timing of Remembrance Day this year should only serve as a little extra incentive to attend a service that is occurring in your community.
We should be proud of the men and women in the Canadian Forces, the service they have provided us, the history of the different units and the many victories we have attained. Canada has often punched well above its weight during military conflicts.
In the First World War, Canadian soldiers liberated Vimy Ridge, succeeding where the French and the British had failed. We fought valiantly in the Great War in its many gruesome battles in the trenches.
In the Second World War, we were part of many great battles as well. We were there on D-Day on June 6, 1944, and were the only ones to reach our objectives. We liberated the Netherlands. Canadians are still revered in that country for our efforts nearly 80 years ago.
Soldiers from southeast Saskatchewan earned many medals, awards and citations for the bravery they demonstrated.
Sadly, we don't have many Second World War veterans left in southeast Saskatchewan. If a soldier legally enlisted at the age of 18 in 1944, a year before the war ended, that soldier would turn 97 this year. Of course, many Canadian soldiers lied about their age to serve their country and fight for the freedom of current and future generations, but anyone who did serve Canada in the Second World War would be well into their 90s.
It's hard to believe that in just a few years, there won't be any Second World War veterans left. Not that long ago, they occupied several rows of seats at the Remembrance Day service at the Estevan Comprehensive School.
Support for Remembrance Day has gone through ebbs and flows. At one time, interest and attendance were waning. That changed after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the ensuing War in Afghanistan. For those born in the 1970s and 1980s, the concept of war suddenly became very real. Attendance for ceremonies grew, as did support for Canadian Forces as we were faced with the harsh reality of Canadian soldiers dying in Afghanistan.
After a couple of Canadian soldiers were murdered on home soil in 2014, the attendance surged once again.
Last year marked the first time that many services were back to normal since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, so we once again saw more people in attendance.
Hopefully, the interest in Remembrance Day service can remain high. Our support for the men and women of the Canadian Forces should not be dependent on what is happening elsewhere in the world.
A few weeks ago, the provincial government announced that it was going to adopt legislation that would require businesses to allow employees to wear a poppy, unless there is a safety issue. You really have to wonder what kind of company would try to discourage or block its workers from wearing this simple, long-standing symbol of remembrance.
So on Saturday and in the days leading up to it, reflect on why Remembrance Day is important to you. Think about those who have gone before us, the wars that occurred, the ways in which those conflicts shaped our country, and the current global uncertainty.
Canada might not be entered in a military conflict right now, but we are supporting nations that are, and there is great uncertainty on the global stage.
And just because we aren't in a combat mission right now doesn't mean we won't find ourselves in one in the future.
