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On the 9th August, 1974, a United Nations Buffalo aircraft flying over Egypt was shot out of the sky by a Syrian air defence missile. On that plane were nine Canadian Armed Forces personnel involved in a peacekeeping mission who were killed on what was supposed to be a routine resupply mission to the presence in the Golan Heights. To this day, it is still the largest single loss of Canadian lives since Canada began participating in UN Peacekeeping missions in 1948. That is why the closest Sunday to the 9th August is selected as National Peacekeepers’ Day every year with this year’s remembrance ceremony being held at the Reconciliation Monument, Ottawa, on Sunday the 13th on what as perfect day of moderate temperatures with a mix of sun and cloud.
This year, besides commemorating the fallen members of the CAF, RCMP, and other police forces and civilians, this ceremony also celebrated the 75th year of uninterrupted peace keeping by Canadians. The only unfortunate note was that the ceremony was moved an hour earlier than in previous years and not everyone got the memo.
The reviewing officer for the UN Veterans, CAF members, and Police contingent members was RCMP Deputy Commissioner Bryan Larkin who, along with the parade commander Assistant Commissioner Graham Muir, quickly moved down the front rank of the parade contingent, stopping to speak to a few peacekeepers along the way about their service.
For the commemorative portion of the program, this ceremony does not place wreaths in front of the monument but instead places bouquets of flowers into repurposed cannon barrels set in a block and aimed skywards: weapons transformed into flower pots, if you will. The first to do so were the Minister of Veterans Affairs, the Honorable Ginette Petitpas-Taylor along with RCMP D/Commr Larkin. The second bouquet was placed by MGen. Denis O’Reilly representing the Chief of the Defence Staff with the final bouquet placed by Ms. Tanya Bellhumeur-Allatt, accompanied by LCol (ret’d) Nishika Jardine (Veterans Ombudsman) representing veterans families and the Canadian fallen.
Remarks were presented by Minister Petitpas-Taylor, who praised the peacekeeper members and reviewed some of their history, also noting that 130 peacekeeping members have lost their lives in the last 75 years. RCMP D/Commr Larkin followed with his remarks, also acknowledging the 150th anniversary of the RCMP and the first deployment of the RCMP (100 member contingent) in a peacekeeping mission to Namibia in 1989. He also pointed out that the role of peacekeepers is not to impose a way of life on others but that…
“Our peacekeepers don’t set out to impose the Canadian way of life in other parts of the world. In fact, they help create safe, stable, places for people to determine their own path and determine their own future. Their ongoing work to create [a] safer world helps us enjoy a safer Canada. And for that we say thank you.”
After his remarks, he turned the parade back over to the parade commander and the official party left the parade. As soon as they were off the square the parade was dismissed and guests lingered around the monument getting their pictures taken in front of the “In the Service of Peace” inscription on the monument wall or with the Peacekeeper’s flag overhead.
After pictures, it was home for the remainder of the day or, for those who were invited, retire to The Tavern at the Gallery for the post-ceremony reception.
