Speaking Notes for

Albina Guarnieri, P.C., M.P.

"Seventh Book of Remembrance Dedication Dinner"

Good evening honoured Veterans, ladies and gentlemen,

Well, I don't know how many of you were at the train station today, but I can tell you that if anyone thought that we could not revive the spirit of 1945 in the Year of the Veteran, they became true believers today.

The veterans must have thought they were on a train back to a time of new peace, high hopes and great promise.

A time when thousands of school children and citizens waited to cheer them at every stop. But that time is now. And it is now that the true feelings of Canadians have come back to the surface and a passion for remembrance has certainly come back to the future.

Tomorrow begins the final chapter in our Year of the Veteran. It is a final chapter we hope will live on long past the New Year and into the all new years ahead.

And what better way to illustrate that goal than with the dedication of the final chapter of our Books of Remembrance.

This Seventh Book or Remembrance will always be an open book, presenting the sacrifices of the past and accepting the inevitability of sacrifices yet to come.

At tomorrow's dedication ceremony the Silver Cross Mother will be our guest of honour representing all the mothers who lost sons and daughters in the service of Canada. And the Prime Minister and the Governor General will be present to deliver the highest level of recognition that our country can offer.

The Seventh Book of Remembrance commemorates not only those who lost their lives in the Service of Canada, but also honours their memory. The Book will serve as a reminder to future generations of the sacrifice of these men and women.

The Seventh Book of Remembrance is unique from all other Books of Remembrance because it will never close. By design, it has no end. It is a living document that will commemorate all lives lost "In the Service of Canada".

Canadian Forces members and those who have recently made the transition to civilian life have difficulty associating themselves with the term "Veteran". According to them a "Veteran" refers to those who, years ago, put their young lives on the line and left the comforts of home to defend their country on the land, the sea and in the air.

But as we all know, current members of the Canadian Forces face the same risk. Everytime a member puts on his or her uniform, whether in Canada or in military operations around the world, they put themselves in harm's way.

Canadian Forces members and those found in the pages of the Seventh Book of Remembrance have followed in the Canadian tradition of self-sacrifice and courage. They have devoted themselves to defending our values and way of life. We owe them an immense debt of gratitude.

The dedication of the Seventh Book of Remembrance on Remembrance Day is a signal to all Canadians that military service goes on beyond times of war, and that the men and women who serve, continue to bear the very human cost of our security, the sacrifice that continues to be the price of Canada's contribution to peace in a troubled world.

In every year ahead, every new entry will be a message borne of tragedy, inscribed in honour, and preserved for all time.

And this year, we have set out to do more than remember the sacrifices of our modern day veterans. We have introduced a new Veterans Charter that invests in their care, in their families and in their futures.

This year we created a new Veterans Charter, the most important transformation of benefits and services offered to Veterans since the Second World War. The Charter recognizes the daily commitment of our Canadian troops. It will provide future Veterans and their families with the necessary tools to build a better life after their military duty is done.

The Seventh Book is an example of Canada's ongoing commitment to Remembrance that forgets no one. This year, we have had pilgrimages and ceremonies to ensure all our veterans are recognized for their special role in our history.

We have emphasized contributions that may be less known, but are no less significant. From our Far East veterans who served in Hong Kong and Burma, our aboriginal veterans, who were honoured last week in Europe, and our distinguished women's veterans who just hours ago were recognized at 24 Sussex Drive by Sheila Martin.

The Seventh Book, is a bound tribute that is also a testament to the boundless dedication of the men and women of my department who worked so hard in its creation and an Advisory Committee who provided the guidance, advice and personal commitment that has transformed this tribute into a timeless treasure. Tonight, I offer my sincere gratitude on behalf of all Canadians to:

• Mr. John Gardham - Chair of the Advisory Committee
• Lt. Col. Jean Bourgeois - Chaplain - DND
• Dr. Steve Harris, Director of History and Heritage
• Dr. Ken Reynolds, Directorate of History and Heritage
• Padre Gerry Peddle - DND
• Mr. Douglas Townend, Canadian Association of Veterans in UN Peacekeeping
• Mr. Stu Christie, National Council of Veteran Associations in Canada
• Mr. Syd Burrows, Royal Canadian Air Force Association
• Mr. Duane Daly, The Royal Canadian Legion
• Mr. Lorne McCartney, Army Navy and Air Force veterans in Canada
• Mr. Larry Gray and Mr. David Munro, Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association
• Mr. John Stuart - Gulf War Veterans of Canada

With your guidance our artisans could use their rare talents to bring honour to every name inscribed -calligrapher Nancy Ellis, illuminator Deborah MacGarvie and bookbinder Richard Smart. It is your special touches that touch us all and created a book of remembrance that is truly a work of art. Thank you.

As we approach the end of our Year of the Veteran, we can reflect on what has been a renaissance year for remembrance in Canada.

It has been a year when our nation has been stirred awake by the passion we feel for our history, the appreciation we feel for our veterans and the pride we feel for our country.

It has been a year of timeless moments, shed tears, shared memories, and a shared promise to those who fought that they would always be remembered by the nation they fought for.

Thank you.