Nearly 116,000 Canadians died in military service during the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War and the war in Afghanistan. People lay poppies on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier following the Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, on Nov. 11, 2022.BLAIR GABLE/Reuters
Every Nov. 11, Canadians are asked to spend two minutes in quiet contemplation of the sacrifices of the soldiers, sailors and air force personnel who served in defence of this country.
But what should we be thinking about in those two minutes of silence in order to, as the Royal Canadian Legion puts it, “recognize the sacrifices of all who served”? Much of the modern sensibility on the notion of sacrifice has to do with what those legions of Canadian men and women gave up.
For many, it was their youth, spent in the trenches of France, or the frigid waters of the North Atlantic, or the dusty plains of Afghanistan. For others, it was their health and wellbeing. Lost limbs, other incapacities, post-traumatic stress disorder: that is the price exacted by war, and by peacekeeping. And then there is the ultimate sacrifice. Nearly 116,000 Canadians died in military service during the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War and the war in Afghanistan.
Those losses of innocence, wellbeing and life bear reflection, and demand remembrance (and for more than just 120 seconds). But to limit that reflection and remembrance only to the facts of what they lost does not fully honour their memories. It strips away their service and turns it into mere victimhood.
They suffered, but they were not victims. They fought for something. For the right to live in peace. For human dignity, for justice. To protect others. For something bigger than themselves, they were willing to spend years of their life in fear, willing to be grievously injured, willing even to die.
They defeated armed aggression, twice. They defeated fascism in the 1940s, and faced down communism for decades. They helped to create a world without global war for nearly eight decades, a world in which freedom and prosperity could flourish. That is their legacy, and that is what we should all reflect on in those two minutes of silence.
But that legacy is threatened. It’s not enough to merely honour what was won so dearly decades ago; it must be protected now. Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine is a brutal challenge to the hard-won principle that armed might cannot redraw borders. Iran and North Korea are malicious accomplices in Vladmir Putin’s aggression. Then there is China, eyeing Taiwan – and the wavering resolve of the West in Ukraine.
What has been Canada’s response? Yes, Ottawa has provided some aid to Ukraine, chiefly of existing equipment. But on the more important issue of arming Canada so that this country can do its part to defend global peace and order, the Liberals have offered little more than platitudes, leavened by prevarication.
As this space recently detailed, the government’s supposed plan to fulfill its NATO commitments is based on implausible economic numbers. Any realistic assessment would make it clear that the Liberals have no intention on keeping their promise.
And in any case, that promise is woefully inadequate. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s position is that Canada will meet NATO’s common commitment to spend at least 2 per cent of gross domestic product on defence – by 2032. What borders will the Russian army have rolled past by then? How big will the Chinese navy be by then? And whose military will be protecting – and exerting sovereignty over – Canada’s North?
Andrew Leslie, a former lieutenant-general and a former Liberal MP, gave a scathing assessment of Canada’s military preparedness in a presentation on Thursday to the House of Commons defence committee. This country’s Arctic defences are virtually non-existent, according to Mr. Leslie. Yes, the Liberals have outlined a plan to inject billions of dollars into NORAD. But where is the plan to rebuild Canadian air and naval power so that this country can enforce the sovereignty it claims over the Arctic, including the Northwest Passage?
Rebuilding Canada’s military capacity won’t be cheap: meeting Canada’s NATO commitment this year would mean spending nearly $20-billion more on defence. That will mean a major shift in spending priorities, and quite possibly tax increases.
That will require some sacrifice, albeit on a scale far smaller than what was asked of early generations, who gave their youth, health and lives. So, yes, let’s take a pause to remember those sacrifices. And then honour them, with action.