I am very pleased to address the House this afternoon with respect to Bill 31, the Murray Whetung Community Service Award Act, 2024.

First and foremost, I want to express my pride in supporting my caucus colleague the member for Peterborough–Kawartha, as he has placed this bill before the House.

Speaker, Murray Whetung stands as a shining example of a great Canadian—a member of the Curve Lake First Nation and a veteran who served his country with pride and honour, both on and off the battlefield.

It is of the utmost importance that we honour the legacy of First Nations veterans, and this is exactly what this proposed legislation would do.

Bill 31, if passed, would establish an award to a cadet in each local Royal Canadian Air Cadet corps, Royal Canadian Army Cadet corps and Royal Canadian Sea Cadet corps, as well as Junior Canadian Rangers, who have displayed excellence in volunteerism and in citizenship over the previous year.

Allow me to paint a picture of the man this bill is rightfully named after.

During his service in World War II, Signalman Murray Whetung played a crucial role in setting up communication lines that were vital to wartime operations. On August 8, 1944, Murray Whetung received his first good conduct badge award for his exemplary service to his unit. And throughout World War II, he demonstrated bravery and faced many life-threatening situations. As a signalman, Murray was instrumental in running lines from Juno Beach to Brussels, Belgium, and to many other parts of war-torn Europe.

Upon the conclusion of the war, Murray continued his service in Germany, setting up lines and communication systems for the Canadian Army there. Signalman Whetung was honourably discharged from service on December 4, 1945, and received several medals as a result of his outstanding service.

Upon returning home, Murray remained a devoted member of the Curve Lake First Nation and continued giving back to his community, and he served as one of its pillars until his passing in 2021, just three years ago.

Speaker, Murray Whetung is but one of many of the brave and exceptional Indigenous Canadians who risked their lives in both world wars. Thousands of Indigenous individuals voluntarily enlisted, as referenced by the member for Peterborough–Kawartha. And despite facing discrimination and injustices before and during the wars, those individuals protected the rights and freedoms of all Canadians on the home front with unwavering dedication—a dedication that ultimately came at a heavy cost.

Hundreds of Indigenous Canadians paid the ultimate price and gave their lives in battle for the freedom of Canada. Furthermore, those who returned home after the war faced a multitude of challenges. At that time, under Canadian law, many of those who returned from war were stripped of their First Nations status. The law was such that if one was not on one’s reserve for a certain period, one was then deemed to have forfeited First Nations status.

This period was also a time when people of First Nations status had been disenfranchised. A little bit of history here: The Electoral Franchise Act of 1885 was introduced in the federal House of Commons by the Conservative government of Sir John A. Macdonald. For the first time, the right to vote was extended to Indigenous Canadians. This is confirmed by Richard Gwyn in the second volume of his biography of Sir John A. Macdonald, at pages 419 and 420. This is also in the legislative library, for those who wish to read it. That act extending the franchise to Indigenous Canadians was repealed by the Laurier Liberal government in 1898. And it was not until 1960, when Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and the federal Progressive Conservative Party introduced legislation that was passed, restoring the right to vote for Indigenous Canadians.

So at that time that this hero, this signalman, Murray Whetung, returned from war, not only was he stripped of his status as an Indigenous Canadian, but he also would not have been allowed to vote.

This treatment of Indigenous people was beyond unjust and is a disgraceful chapter in Canadian history.

Despite the injustices that Indigenous Canadians and Indigenous Canadian veterans faced upon return, many continued to provide immense support to their communities across this province and across this country. Many returned to their local communities and continued to serve on councils as chiefs and as volunteers in many different initiatives that helped improve the daily lives of their families, friends, and neighbours.

This is the true spirit and strength of heroes. Heroes are people who tirelessly help others, demonstrating by example the potential in each and every one of us for good and for love.

Speaker, this bill would help create and maintain a focus on the stories of the contributions of Indigenous veterans to both wartime and peacetime efforts, through the memory of Murray Whetung.

Our Ontario government supports advancing real and meaningful reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in Canada through the continued implementation of various initiatives, as part of our response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s call to action. If passed, this bill will continue to help us to do so and serve as an important step on this journey toward reconciliation. We will continue to provide support and pay our respects to Indigenous heroes and ensure that we understand, that we educate, that we inspire future generations with their history and their stories.

Signalman Murray Whetung was a courageous individual. He fought for his country, and he supported the community of Curve Lake—a true hero in both war and peace. The lessons that he embodied and the inspiration of his legacy will be everlasting for his community, for Ontario and for Canada. This bill, if passed, will ensure that his memory will never be forgotten.

So I urge every member of this House to support Bill 31 and to honour not only Murray Whetung, but all of those who have served and continue to serve our province and our country with high distinction.