Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean
Speech on the Occasion of the Official Unveiling of the Valiants Memorial
Ottawa, Sunday, November 5, 2006
The monument we are unveiling today represents four centuries of history. No small undertaking! The choice was narrowed down to fourteen individuals who helped to shape our country.
Women and men whose heroism set them apart, from the seventeenth century colonial wars to the Second World War.
We are commemorating the valiant efforts of the Comte de Frontenac and of Pierre le Moyne d’Iberville, who fought to protect French lands in North America.
We are honouring broad-minded soldiers like General James Murray and General Guy Carleton, who, ignoring the demands of London, ensured that the French population in Canada enjoyed religious and linguistic rights that allowed La Francophonie to flourish in a British colony.
One of the fourteen episodes that this monument illustrates takes place during the American Revolution. Then, the citizens of what is now called Canada resisted the appeals from their neighbours to the South. In some cases, that resistance involved taking up arms against the revolutionaries.
Leaders like the Mohawk warrior Thayendanegea, also known by his European name “Joseph Brant,” led his people as a valued ally of the British.
John Butler is another one of the Valiants celebrated in this memorial, and his Butler’s Rangers made an important contribution to the British war effort in that conflict.
And let us not forget the valiant defenders of the Citadel in Quebec City, who fought off American General Benedict Arnold and his troops as they attacked in December 1775.
Of course, with time, the thirteen American colonies succeeded in breaking away from the British Empire. But thanks to the efforts of local militias, First Nations allies and British troops, British North America remained separate.
This separate destiny gained a new impetus some 30 years later, when hostilities flared up again in the War of 1812.
Led by Valiant leaders like Sir Isaac Brock and De Salaberry, British and Canadian forces defeated the American invaders at Detroit, Queenston Heights and Châteauguay.
And we have all heard the inspiring story of heroine Laura Secord, who walked 30 kilometres from Queenston to Beaver Dams to warn British commander James FitzGibbon that the Americans planned to attack his position.
It is individuals like these three, honoured in this memorial, and the brave men who fought to repel the invader, who planted the first seeds of Canadian nationalism.
This new sense of what it meant to be “Canadian” would grow stronger in the decades to come, and would again be affected by various armed conflicts throughout the 1800s.
Early in the 20th century, Canada would be called upon to play a key role in a titanic struggle, the First World War. Canadians valiantly answered the call, ready to defend the principles of democracy and freedom against tyranny.
By the end of that war, more than 600,000 had served in uniform, and more than 60,000 had died.
Today, we pay tribute to the singular courage and self-sacrifice of Georgina Pope, who, after her work in the South African War, served with such distinction as a nurse in the Canadian Army Medical Corps in France and England.
We also honour Joseph Kaeble, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for the uncommon valour he demonstrated when he single-handedly repulsed 50 German attackers.
And then there is General Sir Arthur Currie, the innovative military commander who masterminded the legendary Canadian victory at Vimy Ridge, and went on to become the first Canadian commander of the Canadian Corps.
The sacrifices Canadians made in that war, and the victories we secured, lifted Canada into the first ranks of nations. Our contribution gave Prime Minister Robert Borden the moral standing to insist that Canada and the other Dominions be treated as equals at the Paris Peace Conference and afterward.
Finally, we come to the last group of Valiants, men who served with great distinction, on land, in the air, and at sea, during the Second World War.
These four men: Hampton Gray, John Wallace Thomas, Paul Triquet, and Andrew Mynarski, are the personification of such Canadian values as selflessness, courage and great daring.
We can all draw strength from the examples of Paul Triquet leading his men in Italy, and Captain Thomas expertly manoeuvring his ship to evade an air attack off Ireland.
And there are few stories more moving than those of Lieutenant Gray and Pilot Officer Mynarski, who, like so many others before and since, paid the ultimate price, giving their lives in the service of their country.
These four veterans of the Second World War, and the other men and women honoured in this memorial, were instrumental in the progress of our country and helped lay the foundation of Canada.
Today, our Canadian Forces are again involved in a war. Under NATO command, they are fighting in Afghanistan against an elusive enemy as they strive to bring peace and stability to a country in unimaginable distress.
For the first time in many years, Canadians have been forced to come to terms with the harsh realities of armed conflict. For all of us, this is a painful, troubling experience.
Yet it has renewed our sense of responsibility toward other peoples in other countries.
And so, let us remember the fourteen Valiants, and all of the men and women who have served, and who still serve, in Canada’s military. Wherever they serve, in Canada and around the world, they are the guardians of our security, our freedom and the way of life that we hold dear.
