PM honours the victims of 9/11 and the sacrifices of Canadians in the fight against terrorism

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Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Thank you Christie Blatchford for getting us started today. I also want to commend you for the outstanding work you have done chronicling the terrible events of September 11, 2001, and the mission of the men and women of the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan.  You have conveyed to your fellow Canadians with empathy and honesty the brutal reality of these human stories of courage and of sacrifice.

Greetings to members of the 9/11 Memorial Committee and the Beechwood Cemetery Foundation.  Thank you for organizing today's ceremony, a ceremony to commemorate the Canadian victims of 9/11 and the sacrifices of our troops in the battle against terrorism.  I want to thank everyone for coming, including U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Terry Breese and our other American friends joining us today.  I want to thank as well all my Parliamentary colleagues who are here, including Senator Wallin, Minister Van Loan, Royal Galipeau, and Leader of the Opposition Ignatieff. It is truly an honour to share this day with you here in this special place, Canada's new National Cemetery.

Eight years on, the memory of a beautiful fall morning suddenly becoming a nightmare has lost none of its power, none of its horror and none of its sorrow, a morning where two gigantic towers were, without warning, replaced by empty sky. We still grieve for all the innocent men, women and children aboard the doomed airplanes.  We still mourn the thousands who perished in the collapse of the Twin Towers and the fires at the Pentagon.  We are still in awe of the courage of the passengers who fought back aboard Flight 93 and of the rescue workers who risked their lives to save others in New York and Washington.  And we are still confronted with the evil that inspired the terrible events of that day.  More innocent lives have suffered at the hands of that evil in London, Madrid, Bali, Mumbai and elsewhere. 

The attacks of New York and Washington revealed a truth we had all sensed but were loathe to admit, that terrorism is not something that happens somewhere else to someone else.  The 24 Canadians killed on 9/11 are a reminder that it can happen to us.  So we have worked with the United Nations and our allies to resist and prevent terrorism where it finds sustenance and sanctuary. 

The most visible symbol of these efforts has been the mission of our very best citizens, the men and women of the Canadian Forces assisted by our diplomats and development workers in the country of Afghanistan.  By 2011 when this military mission ends, our Canadian soldiers will have served there a decade on the front lines, much longer than during either World War.  Yet, throughout their time there, our men and women have demonstrated the same valour, skill and commitment that has been the hallmark of Canadian soldiers, sailors and Air Force personnel throughout our history. 

Many of those who fought and gave their lives for our country rest here in Beechwood Cemetery, which became Canada's National Cemetery through and act of Parliament passed by all parties earlier this year.

So it is fitting that we are gathered here today to honour not only the memory of those Canadians who perished on 9/11, but also the great sacrifices made by those determined to prevent such a dark day from ever reoccurring.  Our hearts reach out to the loved ones who are left behind.  We know that you have suffered more than most of us can ever imagine. 

The Canadian poet Archibald Lampman wrote of the souls resting here, and I quote: "They know no season but the end of time."  But we the living know that to every thing, there is a season.  9/11 was a day of hate.  Today we weep, we mourn, and we reflect.  Let us pray that we heal, that we emerge from this terrible season, that our troops come home safely, and that our children treasure the peace and freedom that those who lie here gave their lives to protect.

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