2005: Year of the Veteran
The Government of Canada has declared 2005 to be the Year of the Veteran. The Honourable Albina Guarnieri, Minister of Veterans Affairs, made the announcement during the Senate Ceremony of Remembrance in Ottawa on November 5, the first day of Veterans' Week.
The year-long tribute will honour veterans of wars of the last century and Canadian Forces veterans who have served at home and abroad in the service of peace. The year is especially meaningful because 2005 marks the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Throughout 2005, there will be many high-profile events at home and overseas including:
- ceremonies to recognize Second World War veterans at Victory in Europe Day in May and Victory in the Pacific in August;
- the opening of the new Canadian War Museum in Ottawa in May, with veterans as the first guests of honour; and
- the unveiling of the Seventh Book of Remembrance on Parliament Hill to honour
Canadian Forces members killed in service since the Korean War.
In 2005, we'll be posting more features and events relating to the Year of the Veteran on
the Veterans Affairs Canada Web site at www.vac-acc.gc.ca. You can also visit
www.warmuseum.ca to learn more about the new Canadian War Museum.
Photo Caption: For Mr. Tom Ross, every day is a day to celebrate. Tom, who lives just outside Charlottetown, P.E.I., is a veteran of the Second World War who took part in the June 1944 D-Day invasion. This photo of Tom was taken by photographer Alana Jankov and is included in her collection of images called "Heroes."
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