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PM delivers remarks in St-Paul-de-l'Īle-aux-Noix, Quebec
Good morning, everyone.
And thank you, Steven, for that kind introduction.
Steven is working very hard to help our veterans, as he mentioned.
He is making sure that we never forget their courage, their determination and their sacrifice.
Congratulations and thank you very much, Steven.
Give him a big hand, everybody.
I would also like to welcome another member of our Parliamentary caucus, Senator Jean-Guy Dagenais.
Thank you for attending, Senator.
We have with us here today representatives of a number of Quebec regiments whose origins go back to the War of 1812.
I want to welcome them all, but I would ask you to hold your applause until I have finished.
The Black Watch of Canada, the Canadian Grenadier Guards, the Sherbrooke Hussars, the Royal Canadian Hussars, the 22nd Canadian Armoured Regiment, les Voltigeurs de Québec, les Fusiliers Mont-Royal, and last but not least, the 56th Field Artillery Regiment.
Welcome to all those regiments
I am also pleased to see in attendance representatives of Aboriginal peoples who also fought.
The Grand Chief of the Huron-Wendat Nation of Wendake, Konrad Sioui, representing Odanak, the Obomsawin regional councillor, Chiefs Christine Zachary Deom and Kenneth McComber, as well as former Grand Chief Andrew Delisle of Kahnawake, and also from Kanesatake, Grand Chief Serge Simon.
Please welcome all of these First Nations leaders.
I would also ask you to give a warm round of applause to the Mayor of St-Paul-de-l’Île-aux-Noix, Gérald Dutil.
And I also note the presence of the mayor of a municipality that was forged in the heart of the action of the War of 1812, the Mayor of Lacolle, Yves Duteau.
Indeed, it is greatly because of Mayor Duteau that we are here today, as this weekend the municipality of Lacolle and its partners will be pulling out all the stops to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.
So thank you to the municipality of Lacolle and Mayor Duteau for sponsoring this 1812 commemoration.
In 1812, this region, your wonderful region, was at the heart of the hostilities.
And when you travel in your neck of the woods, you still find tangible proof of that.
The Lacolle windmill and the dam on the river have some great stories to tell us, and the heritage of that war can be felt everywhere here in Fort Lennox.
This site of exceptional beauty was established only a few years after the war.
While the fort is no longer occupied by a garrison today, it is now a National Historic Site of Canada, as Steven mentioned.
So it is a perfect place to learn more about our glorious history.
But folks here already know a lot about that, because during the War of 1812, your region, this region, was the site of not one, but indeed two major battles, key battles in the history of Quebec and of our country.
And the challenge was constant.
The Lacolle region was already a choice location for entering Canada.
And American troops had to be repulsed or intercepted on several occasions. Fortunately, today the Americans are our precious allies and friends, who can enter Canada at Lacolle peacefully.
But it is important to remember that invasion, and the courageous people who protected Canada.
A number of communities, in Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Ontario, even Saskatchewan, and obviously in Quebec, are holding events to commemorate the brave heroes to whom we owe our common history.
One of those men was Lieutenant-Colonel De Salaberry.
He brilliantly led his troops, the Voltigeurs canadiens, at the Battle of Châteauguay.
His heroic victory made it possible to protect Montreal.
His achievements made him one of our most esteemed military leaders.
A number of other men and women also wrote other great chapters in our history: Sir Isaac Brock, Laura Secord, Tecumseh, the Shawnee chief of Upper and Lower Canada.
Those men and women who have such a special place in history could not have touched glory without the efforts of thousands and thousands of combatants.
But to date, the Canadian regiments who fought have still not received the recognition they deserve.
Our Government wants to remedy that situation.
We want to fully honour the courage and the sacrifice of those who fought for Canada and protected our territory for future generations.
So it is my pleasure to announce that the Canadian regiments which carry on the traditions of those which fought in the War of 1812 will finally receive the theatre distinction “Defence of Canada - 1812 to 1815”.
Six particular engagements will also receive special recognition. They are Detroit, Queenston Heights, Maumee, Châteauguay, Chrysler’s Farm and the Niagara Campaign.
Those regiments will receive special honours.
The regiments honoured include of course the Royal 22e and the Voltigeurs de Québec.
The 22e Régiment in particular is well known for its important role in both world wars and more recently in Afghanistan.
But its origins date back in fact to the fight for Canada in 1812, in particular the battles in the Châteauguay region under De Salaberry.
And the famous Citadelle of Québec was built in response to that war.
It is another example of the influence that the War of 1812 has had up to this very day both on our history as a country and on our cultural heritage.
Friends, what makes this war so important is that French-Canadians, English, Aboriginal peoples and many others, like freed slaves, took up arms together to achieve a common objective, to resist the American invasion.
And the ties our ancestors forged laid the foundations of a truly pan-Canadian identity and made our Confederation possible, a country of great cultural diversity with two national languages.
Let us always remember that this country, Canada, exists only because of diverse peoples, English-speaking, French-speaking, Aboriginal, and others, who came together in 1812 to resist the American invasion and to defend their unique identities and our shared territory.
A good example of that collaboration among our different peoples is a battle that will receive a special honour, the battle of Chrysler’s Farm.
The Voltigeurs canadiens under De Salaberry, English regiments, militias and the Mohawks all fought together to win a decisive battle that once again protected Montreal.
The esprit de corps that was forged during this key period in our history is still a source of inspiration today, for our country, Canada, would never have been born if those men and women of diverse origins had not come together one day to protect their land, their identity, and their future.
So thank you very much, everyone, for this invitation and for this wonderful commemoration.
