Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to all those who have served in our Armed Forces, many of whom deployed around the world, never to return home; countless more returned home carrying with them the traumas of war.

I often think of my father, Private Lauchie MacKinnon, from Grand Mira, Cape Breton, and his experience of serving during World War II, when he was deployed, and fought, in Holland and Italy at the age of 19.

When we were children, my father never spoke to us about the horrors of war. Instead, he spoke to us about the other things he saw or did, like Canadian troops going to the Vatican for mass given by the Pope or being on leave in Edinburgh and going into a pub where he randomly met his cousin, who was also from Grand Mira.

My brother, Commander Charlie MacKinnon, also served in the Canadian Armed Forces. I have told the story before, but I remember when, as a member of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association, or CANA, I travelled to Kabul, Afghanistan, while my brother was stationed there.

During Veterans’ Week and Remembrance Day, my father and brother are never far from my thoughts. I know that all of us here today have family or close friends who have served or continue to serve.

This year, Canada marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of United Nations peacekeeping efforts. Over those 75 years, Canadian military personnel, as well as members of our Royal Canadian Mounted Police forces, have been deployed to countries in turmoil all over the globe on multinational peace operations, defending democracy and standing up for security around the world.

As conflict around the world is on the rise and hitting closer to home every day, on this Remembrance Day, we honour the 125,000 military members who served or continue to serve on peace missions — as well as those Canadians who were killed while deployed. Many more returned home with physical and psychological trauma.

Yesterday, we marked Indigenous Veterans Day to honour the estimated 12,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit soldiers who served alongside our allies, and we remember the nearly 500 who lost their lives defending our freedoms. As Senator Francis so poignantly expressed yesterday, these soldiers not only returned home with physical and psychological injuries, but also faced social injustices and continued policies of cultural discrimination. We must continue to do better in recognizing the contributions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit to Canada’s Armed Forces.

Honourable senators, it is important for all Canadians to take a moment this week to reflect on the contributions of our Armed Forces and remember all those who answered the call, defending our democracy and protecting the vulnerable around the world.

Thank you.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, I rise today to acknowledge Remembrance Day and Indigenous Veterans Day, both taking place next week.

It would be very difficult to find someone who is not in some way connected to one of these days. Most families have had someone in service, or have lost someone who has served in some capacity or another. In my family, both my father, Private Lauchie MacKinnon, and my brother Commander Charlie MacKinnon served in the Armed Forces. I am proud of the contributions they have made in their service to Canada.

As we honour and remember those who have lost their lives, let us not forget those who have returned from war with scars, both visible and invisible. We must keep veterans at the forefront of our minds throughout the year — not just in November.

I would like to highlight, once again, the wonderful work done by VETS Canada. VETS Canada offers many programs and services from coast to coast to coast in support of veterans across the country. What began as assistance for homeless veterans has evolved into providing support to those facing difficulties of any kind. This can include anything from help in affording a grocery or power bill, to help for those facing an emotional or mental health crisis. The organization consists of just shy of 1,500 active volunteers, most of whom are ex-military or RCMP.

Of particular interest is the Guitars for Vets program that puts gently used guitars in the hands of veterans or still-serving members suffering from PTSD or other service-related disabilities. This program also arranges access for them to free lessons, and the opportunity to participate in songwriting workshops. Past guest teachers have included Alan Doyle and Séan McCann of Great Big Sea. Alan Doyle and Premier Andrew Furey have also generously contributed to Guitars for Vets through their Dollar A Day program.

I would also like to acknowledge the sacrifice made by military families as they live for so long without their loved ones near. Though times and technology have changed from the days of letters across the Atlantic, and we can more easily connect, it is still never the same as a physical hug, or seeing a smiling face in the stands of a hockey arena or in the audience of a school play.

Honourable senators, when you take a moment of reflection — on November 8 and November 11 — to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to Canada and to Canadians, I hope you will also take a moment to think about those who continue to live their life in service, despite the indubitable toll it takes, not only on their physical bodies, but on their mental health too.

While I have mentioned VETS Canada, there are many ways to contribute and many programs that offer support to veterans. I am pleased that the Senate is once again taking part in the national Poppy Campaign.

Thank you.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, we now find ourselves, unbelievably, on the last day of November. I did not want to let the month pass without acknowledging, in this place, National Indigenous Veterans Day, which was November 8, and Remembrance Day on November 11. It is important that we continue to honour and remember those Canadians as well as those First Nations and Métis people who bravely served in the Canadian military. I am particularly proud of contributions made to the Armed Forces by my father, Private Lauchie MacKinnon, and my brother, Commander Charlie MacKinnon, during their time in service.

Throughout my time in the Senate and working with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, I have had the opportunity to travel to many countries where I met with many of our incredible service men and women. Despite the many horrors of war and the toll it takes, not only on their physical bodies but on their mental health as well, these Canadians choose to serve. Their families also sacrifice in not having their loved ones near. Of course, with texting, Zoom, MS Teams and even email, things are much different than they were back in my father’s time when a letter home across the Atlantic could take weeks or months to arrive.

Honourable senators, last year I became an ambassador for VETS Canada. I am honoured to support this wonderful organization that aims to help veterans in need. VETS Canada was started in 2010 in Halifax by Jim Lowther, himself a veteran, to keep veterans who were living on the streets in high-risk situations from slipping through the cracks. Since then, he and his wife, Debbie, and a small team have grown the organization to provide aid of all sorts to veterans in need, including anything from groceries or helping to pay a power bill to emotional and mental-health support. They operate from coast to coast to coast with three drop-in support centres across the country and over 1,400 active volunteers.

One of the most successful initiatives run by VETS Canada has been the Guitars for Vets program. This program matches veterans or still-serving members who suffer from PTSD or other service-related disabilities with a gently used guitar, and it provides them with 10 free lessons with a guitar teacher online in order to put “the healing power of music in the hands of heroes.”

Earlier this month, I had the good fortune to attend a Guitars for Vets program in Halifax and to witness first-hand its profound impact. In this Circle of Service event, veterans were able to express themselves musically through songs they had written or learned to play through the Guitars for Vets program. The guest teacher and artist that day was Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea. Alan Doyle and Speaker Furey’s son Premier Andrew Furey were instrumental in starting the Dollar a Day Foundation, which provides funding to front line mental health and addictions programs across Canada. I thank them for their community spirit. This foundation provides funding to Guitars for Vets.

Honourable senators, I encourage you to check out VETS Canada and Guitars for Vets to see the valuable work they are doing. It is important that we not just acknowledge our veterans and their service on two designated days in the month of November, but that we do so all year round.