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House Hansard - 123

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 2, 2022 02:00PM
Context: House Hansard - 123 - Nov/2/22
Mr. Luc Desilets (Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, BQ)
  • Nov/2/22 4:18:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what is a commemoration? It is the act of remembering a person or an event, often in a very ceremonial manner. That is a simple and brief definition, but it carries a lot of meaning. It carries a lot of meaning because it is related to maintaining and adding to the collective memory of a people. Through commemoration, we write our history. We write our history, and we define part of our identity. Through commemoration, we also define the things that are important to us, the things that we do not want to forget and the things that we must not forget. Today, of course, we are commemorating Remembrance Day. Remembrance Day is observed on November 11 because that is the date when the armistice was signed to end the First World War in 1918. However, Remembrance Day is not just about honouring the memory of those who fought and died in the Great War. In Quebec and in Canada, November 11 is a day to honour all our soldiers in all conflicts who willingly made the ultimate sacrifice. It is dedicated to the memory of all Quebeckers and all Canadians who died so that we could live, live free, live in peace, and just live. It is with humility and the greatest respect that I and my Bloc Québécois colleagues pay tribute today to the sacrifice of the Quebec and Canadian men and women who died serving the nation or for the nation. Do my colleagues know that 2022 was an especially important year for commemorations? At each commemoration, Quebeckers were honoured. I am thinking of the soldiers of the Royal 22nd Regiment who, 105 years ago, during the Second World War, gave everything for victory at Vimy. I am thinking of the selfless soldiers in the Fusiliers Mont-Royal regiment who, 80 years ago, took part in the Dieppe raid, the deadliest event in the Second World War. I am also thinking of the soldiers of the Royal 22nd Regiment who, 70 years ago, during the Korean War, served with distinction in the Battle of Hill 355. I am thinking of all those who, 20 years ago, went to fight for peace in the Balkans during the UN mission. In each of these conflicts, as well as in Cyprus, Rwanda and, recently, Afghanistan, Quebeckers and Canadians were there. Quebeckers were killed. Many Quebeckers were killed. We have been blessed with an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity over these last few decades. There is no doubt in my mind that we owe this period of prosperity to our veterans. It is important that we do not forget their sacrifices. As a side note, the saying “Je me souviens” is not only the motto of Quebec and Quebeckers, it is also the motto of the Royal 22ng Regiment, the first French-speaking unit to be created within the British Empire in 1914. In preparation for November 11, the Bloc Québécois invites all Quebeckers to wear the poppy, donate to a veterans' organization, speak to a veteran and take a moment to reflect on and remember the contributions and sacrifices made by these men and women, our veterans.
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