LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Mr. Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that we may desire only that which is in accordance with Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom and know it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly for the glory and honour of Thy name and for the welfare of all our people. Amen.
Good morning, everyone. Please be seated.
Mr. Kelvin Goertzen (Official Opposition House Leader): Yes, good morning, Mr. Speaker.
Seeking leave of the House to move directly to Bill 201, The Centennial of Manitoba Women's Right to Vote Act, sponsored by the honourable member for Charleswood (Mrs. Driedger).
Mr. Speaker: Is there leave of the House to proceed directly to, under debate on second readings of public bills, Bill 201? [Agreed]
Mr. Speaker: Then we'll proceed directly to bill–call Bill 201, debate on second readings of public bills, Bill 201, The Centennial of Manitoba Women's Right to Vote Act, standing in the name of the honourable Minister of Children and Youth Opportunities, who has eight minutes remaining.
Hon. Melanie Wight (Minister of Children and Youth Opportunities): Mr. Speaker, I had been speaking about sort of a history of the experience of women from my perspective that I had seen.
And I had been–gone into the corporate world early in my career and was often back then the only woman in many meetings, so there was many spots where I was the representative woman. It was corporate real estate and across North America, and often I would go to things and be negotiating things with major companies, and it was only women there and, at that time, it wasn't unusual. I didn't really think a lot about it, because that's how it had been.
And I had some men who worked with me when I was doing property management of commercial real estate, and I know it was quite a shock for them when their boss turned out to be a 26-year-old woman, and we were off looking at construction sites together and approving all those things. And–but it didn't take them long to get on board and get excited about it, and they would tell all the men that would go, why is that woman here? Why do you have, you know, your admin assistant here? And he would say, well, she's actually the one who's going to sign your cheques, so, you know, you might want to make sure that she is here. It's not such a bad thing that she's present.
And then I left that world and I went into working with kids and teenagers involved in crime, and it was a very different world. And when I came back to a more–to something where I ended up, again, in more boardrooms and more meetings like that, not as much has changed as one would like. The percentage, I understand–the last few times I heard about this, heard the stats, it was 6 per cent of women on corporate boards in Manitoba. And that is a sad, sad statement of where–how far we have not yet gotten.
So we really want to be working on the awareness of this and making sure that we really are doing everything we possibly can to promote women moving up. We know it's not a lack of ability. We have–I was recently at the Women of Distinction Awards, and I was absolutely floored by the number of incredibly gifted, talented women that we have in our province. So that lack of women on those–in those boardrooms isn't because there isn't and aren't women who are more than capable of doing the job.
So we know that women were on the front lines of fighting for their right to sit in this very Chamber. And women had to fight for child support; they had to fight for fair treatment in divorces; they had to fight for protection from abusers. Women have to fight loudly for child care, for quality education across the country. And we are working hard in Manitoba to make sure that those things are happening for women.
And I also like to mention–I once spoke on this when I was first an MLA–and I forgot to mention in that first speech, Mr. Speaker, that not every woman received the right to vote 100 years ago. So it was 1960 before our First Nations women had the right to vote, and so it'll be 2060 we'll have to celebrate again, I guess, 100 years for the time when all women could vote.
So I'm very pleased to see this bill come forward and I'm hoping that we will continue, on both sides of the House, to be standing up for all of the things that really do promote women moving forward in our province.
Thank you so much.
Mr. Speaker: Prior to recognizing the next speaker, I'd like to draw the attention of honourable members to the public gallery where we have with us from Winkler home-school group 25 students under the direction of Lauri Derksen, and this group is located in the constituency–the honourable member for Morden-Winkler (Mr. Friesen).
On behalf of all honourable members, we welcome you here this morning.
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Mr. Kelvin Goertzen (Steinbach): It's a pleasure to speak this morning on what I think is a very important bill and one that I would hope that all members of the House would be willing to support.
And I want to, first of all, thank the member for Charleswood (Mrs. Driedger) for bringing forward this bill which is at least the second time that she's brought forward this bill. She's indicating to me, yes, that it's the second time that she has brought it forward.
And I remember Gary Doer, of course–and all members of this House whether they were here when he was sitting or not will remember Mr. Doer–and Mr. Doer used to always say there's no monopoly on a good idea. And he had a lot of different sayings, Gary Doer did, and some of them I agreed with and some of them I didn't, but certainly the one I–the one saying that he often said, that there's no monopoly on a good idea, I absolutely agree with him on. And this is the kind of bill that really does deserve universal support here in the Assembly.
Regardless which party one represents, I think we all support the great advancements that have been made in women rights. We have a wonderful statue on the lawn of the Legislature which is in no small part due to the member for Charleswood and others who were involved with ensuring that that got put there. And I think, also, Janice Filmon, our incoming AGM, was–or our incoming Lieutenant Governor–was part of the Nellie McClung Foundation.
And I haven't had the opportunity yet in this brief session so far, Mr. Speaker, to offer my congratulations to Mrs. Filmon, who will be, I think, an outstanding Lieutenant Governor, who has made a name for herself very much so as someone who has done extraordinary volunteer work, someone who, when you meet her, you don't forget her. And she always–it's often is said that she makes you feel like you're the only one in the room because she really makes you feel special when you talk to her, and I've heard that from a number of different people who told me that she has that ability. So she's going to be a tremendous, I think, asset to the office of Lieutenant Governor. And I also want to thank Mr. Philip Lee for his service as well.
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But, returning to the specific topic of this bill, the opportunity to celebrate the centennial, of course, is unique; it only comes along once every 100 years, Mr. Speaker, and that's true whether we look at the centennial for a number of different things. We know that Canada will be celebrating its 150th birthday and the federal government has a number of different initiatives that they're planning for that. I believe this building will be celebrating its centennial in 2019 or 2020–you're giving me the signal–so I imagine there might be something special that happens around that time. I believe the Law Courts across the street is celebrating its centennial in 2016, so next year, I believe; I could be corrected on that. So there is a number of different centennial celebrations that will be happening in the province of Manitoba over the next few years, and this is a particular one that is special and that deserves special recognition.
Manitoba plays a very special role in Canadian history on advancing the rights of women, not just to vote but in other different areas as well, and we should celebrate that, and I think we should all celebrate that. We celebrated it collectively as a House. The election of the new member for The Pas (Ms. Lathlin), and, of course, we represent different political parties, Mr. Speaker, but we put aside these things often when it comes to the partisan debate, when we think that there's a greater significance of something. So when the member for The Pas was elected to the Legislature, I think we gave a standing ovation together, as members of political parties, even though we represent different political parties. And I think that speaks well of us.
So here's another opportunity this morning to stand together united and to say that, you know, we're proud of the role that Manitoba has played in ensuring that the rights of women are recognized earlier than in other provinces, Mr. Speaker. We're proud of the history that we have in that. We–it's more than just a statue on the grounds of the Legislature, although that is important and that is an accomplishment in and of itself, but it's more than that. And this is a unique opportunity for members to come together and not be divided by different partisan issues, which often does happen in the Legislature. And I've said it before, here, that we don't do ourselves a good service when we allow ourselves to be divided by those sorts of things. I think the public sometimes looks at it and goes, well, you know, that's not an appropriate sort of thing; this is something that all people should agree on regardless of what political party that you represent. And so this is an opportunity for the government.
And I believe, in talking to the government and the Government House Leader (Mr. Chomiak), that there is a willingness and a desire to move forward on this in some fashion and I hope that they'll have the resolve to do that. Later on today we'll have a debate on a resolution on supporting the military. And I can say, you know, when we look at that, we think there's an awful lot of good things within that resolution, Mr. Speaker, and we'll have the opportunity to put words on the record there as well.
But it is a unique time for us to be able to say, hey, let's celebrate this and let's ensure that all Manitobans know the special role that Manitoba has played in this because I think sometimes Manitobans don't know. We assume often because we as legislators have a special access sometimes to hear about these things, we get invited to certain ceremonies or certain ceremonies that happen here at the Legislature, and so we have a very keen understanding of Manitoba's history in Canada. And we understand more keenly than most, perhaps, Mr. Speaker, the different things that have happened here in Manitoba that we have to be proud of, but I'm not sure that that's true for all Manitobans. Because, you know, Manitobans are busy; they're busy with their daily lives. They're out there doing the things that they need to do to make ends meet and to ensure that their families are being taken care of. And I don't know that they individually would have an understanding of the different things that are happening in Manitoba or the different things that have happened in Manitoba.
So this bill will give us an opportunity to celebrate those things, to celebrate as a province, but also to ensure that all Manitobans understand the unique role that we have played as a province in ensuring the women's right to vote and different rights that have happened as a result of the great things that have happened in Manitoba long before any of us were elected here in the Legislature.
And it's important to remember that while these are things that have happened long before we were elected as MLAs, we leave a legacy by the things that we do here as MLAs as well. Maybe 100 years from now others will be debating this. Mr. Speaker, you won't be in the Chair and I won't be here–and I know that's a shock–and none of the other members will be here, but they may be talking about this bill that passed because it'll be the 200th anniversary. And I hope that they'll be able to look back on this record, this recorded record which lasts forever, and say, well, good for the political parties of the day who actually stood together and did something that's important. And they might read the Hansard and they might read what we've said here this morning, and I hope when they do read that that they'll be able to say it was a good moment for the Legislature; it was a good morning for the Legislature because all members stood together and supported something that was worth supporting.
So with those comments, I look forward to the government finally moving this bill on to committee, Mr. Speaker. I want to leave them with the words of their former leader, Mr. Doer, that there is nobody who has a monopoly on a good idea. This is a good idea. I think it's time has come, and we look forward to the government supporting it.
Thank you very much.
Ms. Amanda Lathlin (The Pas): Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for this opportunity to support this bill.
This is probably coming from a personal experience why I am in strong support of this bill. It wasn't until I was in university at University of Manitoba–Native studies was my major–that I started really being educated on how it is for Aboriginal people in this country. For example, I started learning about the residential school system. Like I shared before, I come from three generations of residential school survivors, and I had to learn in that university setting rather than learning from my great-grandmother, my grandmother and my mother, because they never really spoke about it.
So with that–and I also learned, too, sitting there in a lecture theatre, that it wasn't until 1960 that my people, Aboriginal people here in Canada, actually had the right to vote, and to me that was quite disturbing, because although I do understand that women did get the right to vote, it wasn't until, like, years later that it was Aboriginal people who finally got a right to be–have our voices heard in this democratic system.
So with that, I just want to share, too, that I was raised by a single-parent family. My mother, Matilda, she raised us six children. I come from a family of foster children as well. Like I said, my mother raised us that we're all brothers and sisters. So with that, she taught me how to be a strong woman, how to be independent, how to work with a budget with children and all that. And just to share, too, that my late father was a strong supporter for women's rights. He always raised me–practically every day of my life he told me to make sure you get your education, make sure you get a good-paying job. Just in case you're in a marriage and it falls apart you can say, goodbye; I can support my own and the family. So that was one lesson that he taught me all the time.
And my dad also believed that women made better leaders, Mr. Speaker. He always believed that women made decisions from the heart and not from the ego. And just as my experience, too, as OCN chief and council, it was discouraging sometimes to attend our meetings with only two women out of 12 council members. And I had the honour to serve for many years as the chair for the finance and administrative committee for OCN government, and I always felt there was times there was inequality in the chambers there because as a woman I would always make sure that our finances were looked after, just like how we do with Treasury Board here. I wasn't always listened to all the time because–I used to wonder in my mind, if I was a man standing here telling our chief in council to start paying more attention to procedures and policies, maybe things would have been changed a long time ago, right?
So with that, Mr. Speaker–I just want to share, too, with my role as the representative workforce co‑ordinator it was my job to educate the staff and community the importance of this employment equity policy. And the trail that we were on at the time I left, we had an importance on Aboriginal employment. So during my PowerPoint presentations, I would educate the employees and the community members that employment equity policy programs work.
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Women were addressed with that equity program. We were once under-represented in the workforce. We're still struggling for equal wage and, however, I would say currently UCN, over 52–about 52 per cent of UCN's employment are women. So, obviously, the employment equity program works and that's what we want to do, the same for Aboriginal people, visible minorities and people with disabilities. So that was my strong point, to ensure that everybody jumped on board with their employment equity program.
So with that, Mr. Speaker, I'm in favour of this bill. I am quite proud to be standing here, as well, as the first First Nations woman for–in the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, and I would love for us to be–share as role models for other women across Manitoba and across our province as well.
Thank you.
Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, I rise to put a few words on the record on this bill.
This is an important bill. It was a major event 99 years ago when women got the right to vote here in Manitoba. It was the first province in Canada and it was the result of a lengthy fight in which there were many, many people involved, one of whom, of course, was Nellie McClung who campaigned vigorously all over Manitoba and was involved in a theatrical performance that illustrated why it was so important to have the right to vote for women.
The election preceding this was an election which was fought to a considerable extent on the right to vote, and that election was successful and indeed it was the government of Toby Norris, who was a Liberal, the premier at the time, which brought in this measure, and which created a lot of enthusiasm in the gallery at the time and a lot of enthusiasm from women all over Manitoba.
It has to be acknowledged, looking back, that it was not perfect because it didn't include First Nations women, and certainly that was remedied not for quite a number of years, in the 1950s, interestingly, again, under a Liberal government of D.L. Campbell's. But that is another story and for another day of remembering.
But today what we're focused on is trying to make sure that next year, 2016, we have the celebration that we should have of the women getting the right to vote here in Manitoba. So I recommend that we all work together and pass this bill. I'm in strong support of this bill. And I believe that if we start planning now we can have an event next year or events next year which will fit the significance of the achievement which was achieved in 1916 when women got the right to vote here in Manitoba.
Thank you.
Mr. Speaker: Any further debate on Bill 201?
Is the House ready for the question?
Some Honourable Members: Question.
Mr. Speaker: The question before the House is second reading of Bill 201, The Centennial of Manitoba Women's Right to Vote Act.
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? [Agreed]
Hon. Dave Chomiak (Government House Leader): Mr. Speaker, I'm seeking leave of the House to move into–to discuss the next item on the order paper, the PMR, and that we continue discussion of this up until noon or when we run out of speakers and we've dealt with the issue.
Mr. Speaker: Is there leave of the House to move directly to the private member's resolution under consideration this morning that was due to start at 11 and that the private members' hour will then be extended from the time we commence until 12 noon or until we've given all MLAs wishing to speak to the PMR the opportunity? [Agreed]
Res. 3–Support for Canadian Troops Serving Abroad
Mr. Speaker: Okay, we'll call–the resolution this morning is entitled Support for Canadian Troops Serving Abroad, sponsored by the honourable member for Elmwood.
Mr. Jim Maloway (Elmwood): I move, seconded by the member for Lakeside (Mr. Eichler), that,
WHEREAS Manitobans owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Canadian Armed Forces for the sacrifices they have made serving Canada; and
WHEREAS Manitobans support the hundreds of brave men and women based out of CFB Shilo, 17 Wing, and in the reserves who protect our province and country; and
WHEREAS Canadian troops have made historic contributions during the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, in Afghanistan and other conflicts; and
WHEREAS members of the Canadian Armed Forces continue to play a role in combatting terror around the world today; and
WHEREAS the Canadian Armed Forces provide much needed assistance in floods and natural disasters both at home and abroad, and are currently involved in earthquake recovery efforts in Nepal; and
WHEREAS Canadian troops have shown great strength and respect for human rights through peacebuilding, relief and training missions in Haiti, Rwanda, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Cyprus and the Middle East, Darfur, and many more places across the globe, including currently in Ukraine; and
WHEREAS Canadian troops are also currently stationed in central and eastern Europe as part of NATO assurance measures.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Manitoba Legislative Assembly affirm its support for Canadian troops abroad and at home; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Manitoba Legislative Assembly recognize the important role the Canadian Armed Forces have played in our country's history and in the world today.
Mr. Speaker: It's been moved by the honourable member for Elmwood, seconded by the honourable member for Lakeside,
WHEREAS Manitobans owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Canadian Armed Forces for the sacrifices they have made serving Canada–dispense?
Some Honourable Members: Dispense.
Mr. Speaker: Dispense.
The resolution is in order.
Mr. Maloway: I'm very pleased to speak to this resolution today, seconded by the member for Lakeside (Mr. Eichler).
The military, Mr. Speaker, has played an important role, past and present, in Manitoba. Currently, there's more than 4,000 troops based in the province, primarily in Winnipeg's air force base, 17 Wing, and Canadian Forces Base Shilo. Manitoba is also Canada's regional headquarters for NORAD. And when including the many civilian jobs in addition to military positions, the Armed Forces is one of the province's largest employers.
This province's strong connection to the military has touched the lives of all Manitobans at one time or another. For example, Mr. Speaker, in 1950, the Canadian army, navy and air force personnel engaged in the biggest peacetime operation in Canadian history during the 1950 flood in Winnipeg. They helped with water pumps, building and patrolling dikes and evacuating residents.
In fact, the Canadian Forces repeated this pivotal role during the flood of the century in 1997. As a matter of fact, on my own street, on Glenwood Crescent, we had troops helping out with the sandbagging at that time in 1997. As the Red River rose, over 8,500 soldiers, one tenth of the Canadian military from all across Canada, were on duty in the Manitoba flood zone. Engineers assisted the Highways Department and other personnel patrolling the dikes and helped to evacuate affected communities, providing medical assistance and, once it was all over, helped thousands of people return to their homes.
There's also work being done on an ongoing basis by the military throughout the province such as search and rescue operations. And such peacetime services are often overlooked but are yet another component of the vital contribution of the military to our communities.
We've introduced new measures, Mr. Speaker, to make it easier for military personnel to transition into civilian employment. They can now obtain Red Seal certification of civilian trades free of charge, since, after years of service, many have the training and experience necessary to work in the trades. Our government brought in changes so military personnel could find a family doctor more easily, which is very important to military families when they move to our province. We created a special envoy for military affairs in Manitoba, a position that supports and works with the military community in the province on issues importance. The current special envoy, the member for St. James (Ms. Crothers), has been a strong advocate on behalf of military families. By formalizing this position, our government has helped ensure that the voice of military families is heard.
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Mr. Speaker, we've also extended the right the right to vote in provincial elections to Armed Forces personnel serving outside Manitoba. In 2011, we introduced legislation that allows military personnel to end their rental agreements before they expire if they're deployed in military service, without penalty or needing to find a new tenant to take over the remainder of a lease. Military personnel, they often need to relocate quickly to best serve our country, and while Canadian Forces will reimburse them for money lost, this will be a more efficient system; in this way, our personnel will not have to initially pay out of pocket.
In June 2007, we enacted legislation to ensure that we protect reservists' civilian jobs and benefits when they take a leave of absence to serve their country. Reservists' civilian jobs and their benefits will be waiting for them when their service is completed. In 2002, we enacted legislation to ensure that Manitoba's military personnel and their families can retain their Manitoba's driver's licence while serving in other countries and will allow personnel to continue to earn merit points as if they'd renewed on time. Under the same legislation, Manitoba military personnel will keep their voting privileges even if they haven't been in the province or in the country for six consecutive months prior to an election.
In 2004, we created a new tax exemption for military personnel. We exempt employment income earned up to prescribed limits by military personnel serving on high-risk deployment operation missions outside of Canada from income tax.
And on a more personal note, my son, Kevin, now 28 years old, was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 with the Edmonton helicopter squadron, and in 2012, as a member of the army communications group, he has trained in Petawawa, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. They–what they do is they parachute from very low altitudes over airports. They are dropped with ATVs and generators and weapons and supplies. It's kind of a rough landing, I guess. And their job is to set up a communications centre, and they're part of, like, the first wave of groups of 50 that are sent in. He's now, since that time, moved on to a transfer to the air force, and he's taken on radar repair courses right now in Kingston.
We also, Mr. Speaker, brought the Yellow Ribbon of Support campaign to the Manitoba Legislature. Manitoba is also proud of those who risk their lives for our safety and freedom. We owe a tremendous gratitude–debt of gratitude to our veterans for the sacrifices they've made defending Canada around the world in wars and peacekeeping missions. Our veterans have fought for our rights and freedoms, sometimes at the cost of their own lives. We've all shared a responsibility–governments, schools, and parents alike–to continuously remind ourselves and our children that the veterans sacrifice. I believe it's of the highest importance for students to participate in Remembrance Day ceremonies. In 2012, with the support of our government, the Legislature passed a bill proclaiming November 5 to 11 in each year as Remembrance Day Awareness Week and requires schools to hold Remembrance Day exercises on the last school day before Remembrance Day.
Our government values the dedication and bravery of our servicemen and -women. We work continuously in honour of our veterans, and the Province offers a specially designed motorcycle plate, for example, to honour Manitoba veterans. The veteran specialty licence plate pays homage to our veterans and peacekeepers for the dedication, bravery and sacrifices that they've made.
Several years ago, we introduced veteran plates for passenger vehicles. We're now enhancing this special licence program. The veterans motorcycle plate display, the symbolic red poppy–you've seen them around, I'm sure–which has become the lasting memorial symbol to fallen soldiers. We designated the Trans-Canada Highway west of Winnipeg as the Highway of Heroes. We continue to support the family resources centres to assist veterans' families and work with the federal government to ensure the needs of veterans are being met.
On Armed Forces day we hold a remembrance service where a candle is placed on each of the military graves in Brookside Cemetery, one of the largest military cemeteries in Canada–and if you ever have an opportunity to go out there during one of the ceremonies, I would highly recommend it to you.
In 2012 Manitoba signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen economic, cultural and historical ties with Lower Normandy, the region where so many of our veterans fought during D-Day in 1944.
During World War I and II, Manitoba soldiers were awarded the most Victoria Crosses per capital of all–in all of Canada.
And this spring we observed Victory in Europe Day. Seventy years ago, the free world rejoiced at the liberation of Europe and the beginning of the end of World War II, one of the darkest chapters in human history.
And I want to thank you very much for your time, Mr. Speaker, and I look forward to listening to the rest of the speeches on this resolution this morning.
Mr. Ralph Eichler (Lakeside): I'm pleased to stand in the House today in support of this resolution. I thank the member from Elmwood for the opportunity to speak on this and, of course, to be the seconder.
As almost everybody in the House is well aware, that this ties in very nicely with the fact that when this House decided to support the veterans licence plate has spoken volumes to those veterans that have served our great nation and, of course, this great province.
And also, as of last spring, I brought forward another piece of legislation in regards to wounded veterans, or injured in some way, that a fund be set up. And it was also passed in this House. Unfortunately, we haven't got the plates available to those that want to support that initiative, but it's certainly one that I know many number of people in Manitoba would love to be able to help out and buy those plates in support of those injured veterans. And we know how important it is to show our support for that.
I do want to talk about 17 Wing and, of course, Shilo. We know that many members of that force, especially 17 Wing–I know in my area of Lakeside, we have close to probably 100 people that live in Lakeside, being a bedroom community, and how proud they are to be able to serve in the capacity that they have in the–at 17 Wing. Now, I have had the opportunity, also, to attend Shilo and tour that facility. Going back, even in my banking days in the early '70s, I went down with the Royal Bank, who I was employed with at that time, and we had a curling bonspiel there and it was quite the experience for me. Not much of a curler, but certainly enjoyed the facility and, of course, they've made a number of changes to that facility since. And we're certainly proud to have it part of Manitoba's history and, of course, to have those troops stationed here in Manitoba, that supports our economy in more ways than just be able to serve.
We know that we called on the troops several times over the past decade, be it with flooding, be it with fires, be it with whatever disaster that comes our way they're there and willing to serve and put their lives on line to support us on a regular basis, and, of course, our province is stronger as a result of that.
I know that many members of the House have members of their family that's involved in the military one way or another. I know that in my family, I would say probably 40 per cent of our family has served in some way or another in the armed services. And they take that responsibility very seriously, as I know all members do. So whenever we have an opportunity to support them and thank them, we want to be able to carry on with that and, of course, pass that message on to those that do serve this great province and this great country.
I know that the member from Elmwood did mention those that are abroad that are serving us, and we know how important that mission is as well. And the service that they put on to protect us and our families goes far beyond just putting the suit on and the helmets and the protective gear that we've supplied them with–is just not enough to say thank you. Any time we have an opportunity to say thank you to these folks, we need to make sure that we do that. So we on this side of the House are more than happy to support this resolution as well.
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I know Tommy Prince, we talked about Tommy Prince a lot. Almost 100 years ago on October, he was born on the fifth–October 15, 1915, and he's from Petersfield, what's–not very far from my area. And he not only was a hero for our country, but also a hero that was decorated and went on to fight not only in World War II, but also King George VI presented him with a military medal and also the Silver Star. And we all know about some of that history, and, of course, anytime we can repeat some of that history to elect those generations that are younger to be able to carry on with that. And I know every member of this House during the Remembrance Day services does take the opportunity to show their respects.
And I know the legions are having a tough time surviving, but it's something I believe in, I'm a member of the Stonewall Legion and I'm very proud of that. We have about 900 members currently, but it's to the point where a lot of people are just not able to carry on offices within that organization, be it the president, or the vice president; it's a big responsibility. And, of course, that aging population is to the point where we're not able to recruit those members that are able to serve, but certainly proud to see.
In fact, just two weeks ago they had, I believe it's called Chase the Ace or some type of a fundraiser that they had $48,000 up for grabs, people lining up at two in the afternoon, or one in the afternoon in order to take advantage of that opportunity to try to be able to win that pot of money. And, of course, it did our community well as well. And I know there was another one that was out in River East constituency and I think that was a large amount of money as well, so we know that those revenues will go a long way to supporting those veterans and, of course, the Legion as well.
But I do want to wrap up by saying, Mr. Speaker, that it's a pleasure to be able to say thank you to our troops, thank you to them for serving our country and, of course, thank you for serving Manitoba.
So with that, we'll let the others speak, Mr. Speaker, as well. So thank you.
Hon. Ron Kostyshyn (Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development): I definitely wanted to acknowledge and show my support for the resolution brought forward by the member, MLA for Elmwood.
Mr. Speaker, I speak on behalf of a personal relationship that I've had with family members that were–served in the military, and the resolution truly does speak to the gratitude that we often do not recognize, today's military officials but also veterans who have served in World War I and World War II.
And in fact to the point where, you know, people that I've, through family history that I've soon found out that I didn't even know that a number of my members, family members served in World War I and World War II. And only to recent discovery I found out that lakes in northern Manitoba were named after veterans that were lost in war in the European countries that I never realized.
So I'm very proud to say that one of my dear family members by the last name of Yaroway–if you look into the number of lakes we have in northern Manitoba there's a number of lakes named after members that served in the World War I and World War II.
But today's members' statement or resolution is true and near and dear to my heart. And we talk about the importance of freedom of speech and opportunities to recognize the people that have served us for so many years and we should be very proud of what we have today, is really on the sacrifices that veterans made in World War I and World War II.
The military has played an important role past and present and in Manitoba. We owe tremendous gratitude to the brave men and women who put their lives at risk for freedoms that we enjoy here in Canada, no doubt. Our government is proud to support the military in Manitoba, including the current members, our veterans and the service they receive. We stand here at was–as one voice in the legislator for our military and our veterans and their–for services.
Military has played an important role past and present in Manitoba, and currently, Mr. Speaker, there are more than 4,000 troops based in Manitoba, primarily in Winnipeg: air force, Canadian Forces Shilo base. Manitoba has–also has the largest regional headquarters for NORAD. We include many civil servant jobs, in addition to military positions, Armed Forces is one of the largest province's employers. This province connected to military has touched the lives of all Manitobas at one time or another.
I personally have a son-in-law who's served in Afghanistan who done his term for a number of years, and, you know, as we get together on a numerous family occasions and entertain a discussion of the psychological challenges that he personally experienced–and it truly is a challenge for anybody regardless of when they served in the military, almost to the point, Mr. Speaker, that I feel that they are somewhat reserver–reservation of talking about the issue because there are things that are very troubling and continue to be troubling for individuals that have served, regardless what type of war, military action they took in.
So I did have a son-in-law who has served in Afghanistan who was able to come back, fortunately, without any serious harm, but he also personally witnessed a number of his friends that went through some pretty challenging times psychologically, but also medically had–you know, had conditions that unfortunately some of the military people have to live with for a number of reasons.
And fortunately my son-in-law has been able to try out for search and rescue, SAR Tech, and is presently located in Greenwood, Nova Scotia. And, you know, it's truly amazing to understand, if you want to engage yourself in SAR Tech or search and rescue, it is quite a 'dedious' task to do this, and his vision was to help out people when they're in emergency situations. So, fortunately, when he tried out, there was a total intake of about 400 members that chose to try to get selected into SAR Tech or search and rescue. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour and a privilege to have a son-in-law through a selection of 400 individuals.
At that time they were choosing 10 members, and unfortunately the first time around he was the 12th one to be chosen, so obviously he didn't make the first cut. But within the same year they had another recruitment, and again–and he said to me, he says, you know, I don't know if I'll do this again, but I will try it once again. Well, let me tell you, this is probably one of the most gruelling physical endurance tests that anybody–I would call it the iron man test, as far as trying to do. He literally lost about 25 pounds in a matter of 10 days, and it's truly endurance test to no end. And, trust me, he's–his figure is basically bones and muscle because he doesn't have 12 pounds to sacrifice–or 20 pounds to sacrifice. But fortunately he was able to get in the second time around and served in Gander, Newfoundland, for three years and was used numerous times for medical retreatment and also for people that unfortunate aren't able to get into hospital services.
But he often talks about the life that he spent in Afghanistan, and, Mr. Speaker, you know, when we talk about certain things that we–our military people have gone through, regardless what war they're in, and it's very hard to visualize a 10-year-old or a 12‑year-old individual in Afghanistan that walks beside you. And he often said to me the biggest fear he was is because based on the wardrobe, he never knew what was possibly bombs that are being carried on. This is a small example of what our military people had to go through and the sacrifices they've made and continue to make for the betterment of our lives in Manitoba and in Canada.
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You know, throughout our army and in time that they've done, in 1950, the Canadian army, navy and air force personnel engaged in one of the biggest peacetime operation in Canada's history. They helped out by water pumps building and patrolled dikings and evacuations. This was one of many examples that our Canadian Forces did to help out the city of Winnipeg during the flood of the century of 1997.
And you know we often–we all who–often we visualize them as only as in military action. But when you look around, Mr. Speaker, when we talk about the Portage Diversion, we talk about the flood of 2011, two thousand and–1997 floods, these are a number of things that our military people do and continue to sacrifice for not only fighting in wars, but also helping out people in Canada and in Manitoba because as we witnessed, as you know, for a number of years.
So supporting our veterans, we owe a tremendous gratitude to our veterans for the sacrifice they've made defending Canada around the world in wars and peacetime missions. Our veterans have fought for our rights and our freedoms, and sometimes a cost of their own lives.
We've all shared responsibilities, governments, schools and parents alike, to continuously remind ourselves and our children of their sacrifices. I believe it is one of the highest importance for students to participate in Remembrance Day ceremonies. Mr. Speaker, 2012 the support of our government legislating–passed a bill which proclaimed November 5th to the 11th in each year as a Remembrance Day Awareness Week and requires schools to hold Remembrance Day exercises on the last day before Remembrance Day. Our government's values and dedication to bravery to our servicemen and -women–we work continuously to honour our veterans.
Several years ago we introduced veterans' plates for passenger vehicles and we now enhance the special licensing program. Veterans' motorcycle plates display the symbol of the red poppy which has become the lasting memorial symbol of fallen soldiers.
To drive down No. 1 Highway, Mr. Speaker, and we see the designated Trans-Canada, west of Winnipeg, the Highway of Heroes, truly is a lasting legacy as we drive by. And I'm sure a number of individuals see that and remind us of the attitude that the people have taken over the years of serving in the wars.
In 2012, Manitoba signed a member of understanding to strengthen the economic culture and historical ties with Lower Normandy and regions where so many of our veterans fought during D-Day in 1994. During the wars, I, II, Manitobans are awarded the most Victoria Cross per capita in all of Canada.
So in closing, Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure to stand here and be proud of the family and all the veterans that served on the war.
Mr. Speaker: Order, please.
Mr. Cliff Cullen (Spruce Woods): Indeed, it's a pleasure to rise this morning to speak in support of this particular motion that was brought forward by the member for Elmwood (Mr. Maloway). Clearly, we're in support. We just wanted to confirm our support for our Canadian troops abroad and at home and, of course, the important role that the Canadian Forces have played in our country's history and around the world.
And, Mr. Speaker, I do want to talk a little bit about the history of military in Manitoba, and we do have quite an interesting history which a lot of people will not maybe recognize. The distinguished role that civilians in Manitoba have played and really the good work that we have done in the province of Manitoba over the years, it is quite interesting.
I want to speak from the perspective of Canadian Forces Base Shilo which is headquartered in the great constituency of Spruce Woods. Mr. Speaker, I hope you have an opportunity to visit CFB Shilo sometime. I know Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen Joudrey is certainly open to having legislators there, having the public come and make sure that the public understands the important role of the military and, of course, the base there itself.
Mr. Speaker, the base itself, located at Shilo–which, of course, is just east of Brandon–covers almost 40,000 hectares, and that's an area approximately 15 by 30 kilometres. So that's about 90,000 acres there that is set aside for Canadian Forces Base Shilo. Of course, the mission there is to enable success of training operations, general activities providing–and this is a real good training venue for the military–and also making sure that we can deliver comprehensive support to other operations around the country and around the world.
Canadian Forces base is home to the 1st Regiment, royal Canadian horse 'artillier,' or 1 RCHA, and, of course, the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, or 2PPCLI. And, certainly, both of these units are part of 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group.
Mr. Speaker, growing up beside CFB Shilo, we're certainly aware of all the training operations that have been going on there for–throughout the years. And, certainly, the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, this has been their headquarters for quite some time, so a lot of the bombing activities and training has taken place there. And it was certainly a nice opportunity for a few of us to go visit last fall. We were out on some training exercises there and had the opportunity to fire off some howitzers. So that was certainly quite an experience and certainly those military training exercises are obviously paramount in training for our soldiers when they travel to other parts of the world, and it's certainly interesting to see that.
Mr. Speaker, because Shilo has been part of the horse artillery, we also have established there the RCA Museum. And this is a world-class museum there that talks a lot about our military history there, dating back thousands of years, actually. This museum is a national-awards-winner museum and it's worth a trip there. It's open throughout the summer and, certainly, Monday to Friday throughout the rest of the year. And, actually, this particular facility, they're looking at an expansion down the road once the funds are forthcoming, so it is a really–a unique attraction that offers a lot of insight into our military history there.
Mr. Speaker, you will also remember just this past spring, I introduced a resolution on the PPCLI, and that one was passed unanimously in the House. And, clearly, this is the home of the 2nd Battalion. The 1st and 3rd battalions are home–at home in Edmonton. But, obviously, PPCLI has a very interesting history and it was founded just 100 years ago, so the resolution was in support of the 100th anniversary of the–that particular regiment.
Mr. Speaker, a very interesting part of our history, obviously, at the time–I'm going back to August 1914. It was Captain Andrew Hamilton Gault, who was a Montreal entrepreneur that actually provided $100,000 to raise equipment for a battalion overseas service. And, actually, the Canadian government recognized this and, so, in August that year, the regiment was certified by the Canadian government. And, you know, over the years, of course, the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry was pretty long for everyday use. So the new unit became known as PPCLI, with PPs or Pip Pips the most common variance. The regiment was best known to the public, or is best known, as the Princess Pats or merely the Pats, but this 'partual' abbreviation is discouraged, and the regiment, for our information, prefers to be known as the Patricias.
So, Mr. Speaker, the Patricias have served with distinction over the last 100 years, not just here in Manitoba and Canada but certainly around the world. And since its formation 100 years ago, more than 1,850 Patricias have fallen in the service for Canada, so a really important part of our tradition. And, as I said, these people, men and women, have served in just about every major 'confrontration' that we've been involved with as Canadians around the world, and we thank them for all their work.
Mr. Speaker, I think it goes without saying that, you know, we think of these people, military, as upholding democracy for us as Canadians, but they also play an important role when we face our own natural disasters here in Manitoba and Canada. And, clearly, with the flooding that we've had in Manitoba over the last number of years, we've called on the military with their expertise to come to our assistance and aid us a number of times over the last few years. And, clearly, we owe them a debt of thanks for that activity as well. So we certainly encourage all Manitobans to tip our hats to those that serve us in so many different capacities.
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And, Mr. Speaker, in talking about history in Manitoba–and I know I talked about CFB Shilo, and CFB Shilo, to my recollection, was started sometime in around 1934, but the precursor to CFB Shilo was a facility known as Camp Hughes. Now, Camp Hughes, again, is a military training camp located actually just a little east of the current day CFB Shilo and actually a little bit west of the community of Carberry in the municipality of North Cypress, and it was used actively as a training area from 1904 up until 1934, and also was used as a communication station from the early 1960s up until 1991. Now, this particular facility has currently been designated as a national historic site of Canada in 2011. It was also–in 1994 it was designated by the government of Manitoba as a provincial heritage site, and I would certainly encourage members to take the opportunity to visit this location now it is open to the public.
And what makes this particular facility so spectacular today, Mr. Speaker, is it is the only World War I era trench systems remaining in the world–one of the only ones, certainly the only one in North America and one of the few in the world, so that you could actually go there and get a bit of an understanding of how the trench warfare worked back in World War I. This was quite an impressive facility. You can imagine the onset of World War I occurring and our Canadian government looking for somewhere to train our military people, and Camp Hughes was that facility. Lots of open space for the training there, as well, obviously. Extensive trench systems were set up. Grenade and rifle ranges were set up. Military structures were built at Camp Hughes between 1915 and 1916. Also, a variety of retail stores and entertainment complexes set up as well.
And, actually, during World War I, more than 38,000 troops of the Canadian Expeditionary Force trained at the camp, and by 1916 it had grown to such a large size that it had the largest population of any city outside of Winnipeg, Mr. Speaker, so a very important facility. And many of those soldiers who trained at Camp Hughes were involved in the infamous battle of Vimy Ridge in France in April of 1917.
So, clearly, Mr. Speaker, Manitoba and Manitobans have played a very important role in our Armed Forces, and we just want to take this opportunity to salute all the good work that our friends in the military services provide, and hopefully with a little opportunity to reflect back on history and remind people that Manitobans have provided a really important role in that.
With that, I certainly look forward to others supporting this resolution.
Mr. Clarence Pettersen (Flin Flon): I'd like to thank the member from Elmwood for putting this PMR forward. It's something, I think, and I'm very proud to say everybody in the Chamber today is very proud to speak on this bill in regards to support for Canadian troops serving abroad.
I look at you, Mr. Speaker, sitting between the Canadian flag and, of course, the Manitoba flag. It's very important to me and my dad that–because, when he was in World War II and stationed in Halifax, he was stationed there in the Battle of the Atlantic, and many of his friends either were injured or killed under the Union Jack flag. So my dad always said that it was important to him to see a reference to the Union Jack flag, and I'm glad that we still have the historical presence to have that, and I'm proud that our Manitoba flag has the Union Jack.
Having said that, I want to say that it doesn't matter what political stripe you have, I think it's important whatever party's in power we've got to support our troops, and it doesn't matter where they're serving. If our governments decide that Canadian troops can make a difference somewhere in the world, whether it's in Libya, whether it's in Afghanistan, whether it's in Iraq or even the Ukraine, it's important that we support them to the fullest. And I really want members to realize that it's not just support the troops over there but also support the troops when they are back.
And from this I'd like to talk a little bit about Canadian soldiers that have come back from tours in Afghanistan, in Iraq or Bosnia that have come back to Flin Flon. And it was–it's always great honour to meet them at the Legion or on November 11th when we're having Remembrance Day, but it's also very important when we have November 11th in our high schools which, again, have been taken over by the students. It used to be when I was a teacher first teaching–like I said, 33 years ago or 25 years ago it was basically put on by the teachers or the staff and we had Remembrance Day.
But I notice in the last few years, last 10 years, it has been taken over by the students. And they invite past students of our high school that have gone to, say, Afghanistan or Iraq, and invited them to speak and talk. And some of them, like I say, you know, have put their life on the line. And some of them have returned with PTSD which, like I say, we as a government has to make sure–have to make sure that if they need help our soldiers will get that help.
I remember when I first saw Canadian soldiers going to Afghanistan–and, of course, the uniforms that they had at the time was like a green-leaf camouflage and, of course, in most of Afghanistan it's kind of like a desert or desert-like terrain. And so they didn't have the proper uniforms. And I remember my dad saying, my God, we're–you know–we're sending our troops over there and they don't even have the right uniforms for the camouflage. Of course, we changed that, Mr. Speaker, and Canadian troops were well equipped, and that's important. We want to make sure that when our troops are representing our country that they have the best equipment, that they can go on offensive or defensive. And I'm proud to say I think our Canadian troops are well trained and well supported.
My dad, in World War II, in VE day–this is a remembrance, and I guess I challenge everybody in the Leg. today. On VE day in Halifax, apparently it was a Sunday, and the troops at that time wanted to celebrate. So, yes, my dad did break into some liquor commissions and they–him and his friend happened to take a couple bottles of rum. And when they were on the beach then they noticed the MPs coming and they didn't want to get caught with them, so they buried it in the beach. And I challenge anybody that goes to Halifax, I will put $100 towards–$100 right here to anybody that can find two bottles of rum on the beach of Halifax.
It was a very, very important day for my dad because–and for his friends–because of what they saw during the war. And seeing ships, some frigates and that with the back end blown off and people and friends of his that died, he always remembered it. But he didn't want to talk about it. All the years that my dad was alive after the war, he didn't mention much at all. All he said is that you don't want to go to war, son. And he came from southern Saskatchewan, joined the navy, and at the time I thought, well, why would you join the navy?
You're–you know, you're from–[interjection] Yeah, you're from the Prairies. But his dad was a Norwegian sailor so that was the tie-in, and he said that–his first time that he was on a ship they actually roped him into–tied him to the top of the deck and give him a loaf of bread. And I said, why would they do that to you, dad? Well, after a while you throw up so much you have nothing to throw up, so you'd eat the bread to throw up, but he said after a while he got used to it. But it was very important–my dad, in the years that he lived–he lived 'til he was 85–that when he looked at Canada to be involved in peacekeeping missions around the world, that our troops were there and were well equipped.
He also said that, you know what, sometimes you have to stand up for the little guy, and throughout the world I think Canada has always been there trying to help. Now, sometimes we can argue against the political moves. I know, myself, I've travelled across Asia. In 1978, went into Iran–I actually snuck out of Iran when the shah was there, but got to Afghanistan and, at the time, it was before the Russians were there, and it was a beautiful country.
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A year later the Russians got in, and 10 years later, then the Americans got in and Afghanistan definitely is not the country that I remember was in, and politically you kind of wonder, did we do the right thing? I know we have Canadian soldiers that died in Afghanistan, but, politically, can you force democracy on a country? I think that's some of the debates that are going on now, right now in Syria and Iraq, is what can–how can we benefit from this? And, of course, I watched a show on ISIS last night on CNN and it's not good, and I just wish the best for our troops and, like I say, I hope that they are given the best equipment, they're given the go-ahead to do their job because I know they'll do their job with the utmost of diligence and of bravery.
I also–when we left Afghanistan, we went into Pakistan, and up to Kashmir, or Srinagar, and, of course, there's a war going on, a war–a border dispute between India and Pakistan, again, a beautiful country, but now there's military all over. Then, finally, we ended up in Nepal, and when I see the pictures of the earthquake that just happened, it's sad, but I know there's Canadian troops or there's Canadians there trying to help the people throughout this earthquake and the second earthquake. Some of these buildings are historic buildings, but, as you know, in history in some of these places there is no building codes, and when you had a little shake, rattle and roll, some of these buildings just collapsed.
But, like I said, I'm proud to say I'm Canadian. I'm proud to say that we'll be there when the world needs us and we're not going to sit back. We're going to make a statement; we'll make a stand, and I just want to thank everybody in this House for standing behind the member of Elmwood who graciously put this bill forward. We can almost call him the admiral here today because of his leadership, but thank you, thank you, Mr. Speaker, for giving me that opportunity.
Thank you.
Mr. Ron Schuler (St. Paul): Today we are speaking to a very important resolution, Mr. Speaker, and the resolution in the first sentence talks about a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Canadian Armed Forces for the sacrifices they have made serving Canada, and that is past, present and probably in the future.
Mr. Speaker, I've been going to Legion 215 for years since the mid-'90s, and have always enjoyed the Remembrance Day ceremonies that they put on. In fact, they used to have this service where they would drop a poppy for every former serviceman, every veteran, who passed away, and I can remember in the beginning they would be dropping five, six, seven, maybe 10 or 15 poppies. And then, by the late '90s, they would be dropping a lot of poppies, and they would mention the individual's name and they would drop a poppy in front of the podium, and the registry of names would go on and on and on. And I can remember when, in the mid-'90s, they used to ask how many World War veterans there were, and there'd be a smattering of them would get up, 10 or 20. Then they'd ask how many World War II veterans, and a lot of them would get up.
Over the years the World War I veterans got less and less, and soon there was a time when there were no World War vets standing up anymore at Legion 215. And soon thereafter, I think in the last year, there were one or two, maybe three World War II veterans that stood up.
Canada has a proud history, and we should be very proud and very respectful and very mindful of those who put their lives on the line, many who died, many who were injured and came back, put whatever they could back together and continued to live their lives, but always remembering what they saw and what they went through in foreign wars, whether it was World War I, World War II and all the other ensuing wars.
So, these are always important milestones, but this resolution is one that's not just Remembrance Day that we should remember. We should be remembering every day as we got up this morning and looked across this beautiful city with the sun shining and the kinds of freedoms and the kinds of things that we enjoy, the standard and the quality of life, we have those who put their lives on the line to thank for that.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, when I was in Ukraine as an election observer, we had the opportunity to go into a military hospital in Kiev and we saw soldiers and we were allowed to speak with them. We weren't allowed to take pictures nor were we allowed to ask where they were posted or anything that could divulge any kind of military secret, but we could ask them how they were doing. And many of them would say to us, we really would love to have Canadians helping us–help us with training.
We were in one city–and I won't say which city it was–there was a colleague of mine also from Canada who spoke fluent Ukrainian, and a woman came up and said to him, I have a lot of money that I'd like to give you. And we looked at each other and it was translated, and my colleague turned to the lady and said, why would you want to give me your money? I don't understand. She said, I would give you all my money if you would go back to Canada and do one thing. Okay, he says, what would that be? She said, would you please buy a flak jacket, a bulletproof vest, for my son? He is serving on the front. He's my only child, he's my only son, and I just want him back alive. If you would please take all my money and just buy this jacket and send it to us so that he could be safe, because they have no bulletproof vests, they have no flak jackets. Could you please do that?
So he translated for me and he said, what do you think? And I said, well, it's illegal. We are not allowed by law. In fact, it's one of the laws we passed in this Chamber. You are not allowed to buy civilians flak jackets. You're not allowed to buy bulletproof vests. That is something that he would have to do through his government, through his diplomatic office. That's how those things are done. And he explained it to her as best he could, and she was absolutely crestfallen. And at the end, in tears, she said, we love Canada. We love what you stand for. We would really love to have your support.
And, Mr. Speaker, I'm very proud that our Prime Minister and the Cabinet and the government have decided that they're going to help the Ukraine army with training. We are going to be sending trainers over. I understand they're there as we speak, helping out with their soldiers. I know Canada has sent over a lot of supplies–lots of supplies–to help the soldiers. One of the other things there is–and I don't know the proper name, other colleagues might, but it's a powder that you put on and it coagulates the blood. And I know that we've been sending over a lot of those packs because it's not always easy to evacuate soldiers who are wounded, so they put some of this powder on and it stops the bleeding and some bandages. I know our government has done a great job in sending those kinds of supplies over.
And, Mr. Speaker, we are, as a nation and as our soldiers, very well respected, and the world looks up to what we bring to the table and looks up to our soldiers, the men and women who put on a uniform, that are prepared to fight for us even when it was in Afghanistan. Next to the United States of America, Canada carried the heaviest load. Canada was prepared to go out and engage. Canada was prepared to go out and talk to civilians. Canada actually carried way above its weight in duties, and we can be very proud of the men and women that put on the uniform.
And, Mr. Speaker, I know that the Progressive Conservative caucus always wants to be clear in that we support, we are proud of and stand by those men and women who have the courage to put on the uniform, to put on the Canadian flag on their shoulder and go and stand for what's right and for what's just.
Again, I'd like to thank Prime Minister Stephen Harper; I'd like to thank his government and the House of Commons for the kinds of positions, for the kind of stance that they have taken.
And we will certainly look forward to supporting this resolution when it comes to a vote, Mr. Speaker. In those few words, thank you very much for this opportunity.
Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): I rise to speak in support of this resolution. I think it is timely and fitting that we provide support to members of the Canadian Armed Forces and to recognize the achievements and the contributions that the members of our Armed Forces have made over many, many years.
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We often think back to the contributions in the First World War, the major battles where Canadian Forces were tested. And in some ways it was a demonstration of the commitment, the expertise and the skill and the ability of the Canadian Forces which, during the First World War, which brought the Canadian Forces and Canada to prominence internationally.
The Second World War, from Dieppe, Juno Beach, to Anzio, to the liberation of the Netherlands, to work in Canada on the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, which trained more than 130,000 air force personnel and almost 50,000 pilots and, of course, in the Pacific at Hong Kong and elsewhere, Canadian contributions during the Second World War were major.
The Korea war is often not given as much prominence as it should have but Canadian Forces played very important roles in the Korean War. Indeed, the role of the Canadian Forces was outlined in a book launched last year which was written by Won Jae Song and Olivia Do, and launched here in Winnipeg. There were 26,000 Canadian soldiers involved; there were 516 who died in Korea. And the Battle of Kapyong, which to some extent we have celebrated with the naming of Kapyong Barracks here, was a very important turning point in the Korean War and it was a battle in which the Princess Patricias played a very important role. And so it is important to recognize this and to understand as Manitobans, as Winnipeggers and as Canadians the important role that was played by the Princess Patricias in that battle.
And there were contributions through the Canadian navy as well, important contributions. These were outlined not long ago by one of the people who was part of that effort, Len Montford, who was speaking at an event at McNally Robinson and talking about what happened in the contributions of the Canadian navy in Korea.
And as a result of the efforts in Korea we have very strong ties between Canada and South Korea, and those ties are important to us globally as we work together in today's world, just as the ties that we have with people in the Netherlands which were liberated largely by Canadian Forces in the Second World War are also very strong.
But I want also, in addition to mentioning of course Afghanistan, and where we are at the moment in Iraq, to talk for a moment about the extraordinary number of peacekeeping men in which the Canadian Armed Forces have contributed in Africa, in Congo, Angola, Western Sahara, Mozambique, Somalia, Uganda, Rwanda, Central America–African Republic, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Sudan, an extraordinary list of places in Africa where Canadians have been involved at one time or another as peacekeepers, some very successfully, some less so. I think the one that stands out in certain ways is the effort in Rwanda. And I've heard Roméo Dallaire talk on more than one occasion and very passionately about what happened and about the failures, in fact, of the UN forces to be able to stop the genocide which occurred there.
And it is sometimes from one's failures that we learn as much or more as from our successes. And I think Canada and the world has learned as a result of what happened there and hopefully we will be able to build on that learning and do better in the future.
In the Americas, Canadian peacekeeping forces have been in the Dominican Republic and El Salvador and Haiti and Guatemala; in Asia, back in 1949, in the early years of the situation for India and Pakistan, of course, in Korea, in New Guinea, in Afghanistan, in Cambodia and East Timor; in Europe, as well as serving with NATO, in many of the bases after the war as part of the effort to stabilize Europe, Canadian Forces were very involved in the former Yugoslavia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo; in the Middle East, of course, in Cyprus, in Lebanon, in Yemen, in the Sinai, Iraq, and so on.
It is an extraordinary list of places around the world where Canadian Armed Forces have served, trying to create a more peaceful and more stable world. And so it is fitting for their great efforts that we acknowledge them today with this resolution and salute their efforts and recognize the tremendous contribution that our Armed Forces have made not just to Canada but to the world.
Thank you.
Mr. Reg Helwer (Brandon West): I'm very pleased and honoured to rise to speak to this from the member.
It's an interesting world out there, and we take a lot of things for granted with our troops, Mr. Speaker. I've been very fortunate to spend some time with them before they've gone away and upon their return, to see the trepidation as they're heading away, the excitement of the troops because they have been training for this and they are very well trained, and they're going to use their training to better the world and make us a safer place, we hope. But there's also the trepidation as they leave their families, and, of course, they're not sure if they're going to return. And when they do return, the joy and the pride of the families to see them coming back is quite something. Of course, we get invited, as members of the Legislative Assembly, and we understand that it's not for us; it's for them, to honour them and to see them come back. And we hope that they'll be able to find their way back and integrate themselves into society because they've seen some things that no one deserves to see, and there's been some challenges there, obviously. But it does, I think, for me, shows how we often take things for granted.
I was very fortunate recently to be in Ottawa at a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meeting, and we did go through the House of Commons, saw the evidence of the attack there with the chips of Tyndall stone missing, limestone missing, that were hit by bullets. A lot more security around, obviously, and it was a point of conversation not only for ourselves but for other legislators from around the world that were aware of what happened there, that we had been under attack.
I also took the time that evening to go over to our National War Memorial and spent some time there trying to understand how a 24-year-old corporal, Nathan Cirillo, who was so proud of standing guard there, could be gunned down in something seemingly so random. It seems very calm there at the moment, Mr. Speaker, but, obviously, during that day it was something quite different. And while we hope that we might not see those things again, we understand that the world is quite a different place from one that many of us have grown up in. And we take pride in our military that they are there for us. We celebrate with them. We attend functions with them.
Very proud that, of course, we have 17 Wing in Manitoba and in–out in western Canada, the Princess Patricia's, the 1RCHA, RCA and, of course, base command. They are all part of our society out there; when they hold their military ball, it is a part of the social calendar in the Westman area. Interesting to watch the military interact with civilians and how they celebrate.
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But we were fortunate, my wife and I, to attend recently the memories dinner at the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum. It was a dinner and dance. Some, of course, of our veterans there from the air force that are aging, but there were a number there, male and female that had served in the Second World War. And while we're running short of them, they are very proud of their contribution and they want to create more memories so that we understand what they did for us and what they went through.
I did learn–every time in this–every day in this job, pretty much every hour in this job I learn something new. When the dance started there were just no active ranking military officers present and we were the only elected–I was the only elected official, and people were looking at us because, apparently as the highest ranking elected official, you're supposed to start the dance, so learned something new every day.
Caution other members, if you're in a similar occasion that you're ready. Have to member–have to remember how to dance from time to time so you don't embarrass yourselves, and that's what we had to do, obviously, but we did get out there and start the dance or be with the groups that were going up. So very pleased to be with those people and to celebrate their memories and their losses, of course, because in any organization such as the military there are often losses and we grieve for those families.
We did see some of those memories come through Canada here last year with the celebration, I guess, if you want to call it that, or the memories of the fallen that were coming through in Shilo and was in the Legislature here as well, and very sobering to watch the families and their interaction with the memories of their fallen.
So while it is a sad occasion at times when we see that, we do celebrate when our troops come back. We remember them when they're away. We know that it probably won't be the last time, because we're a big, fairly big player in this world right now and it is one of our responsibilities to make sure that we try to keep not only Canada safe, but our allies safe as well, Mr. Speaker. And some of those things that we get involved in are not very pleasant, but we're very fortunate that we have a well-trained armed forces that is able to do those things for us.
And when I'm out–have been out on manoeuvers with the troops as well in Shilo, they are very proud of what they do, very understated. But it always means a lot to them, I think, from what I've heard from them, when we do express our gratitude. So I am very happy to be a part of the Legislature here expressing our gratitude to the arms forces and thanking them for their service.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Hon. Deanne Crothers (Minister of Healthy Living and Seniors): I'm really very pleased to be standing today to speak to this PMR.
And I just want to start by acknowledging just how many people we have in this province that are tied to the military, and we currently have more than 4,000 troops based in the province primarily in Winnipeg's air force base and Canadian Forces Base Shilo. But when you also take into account that we're Canada's regional headquarters for NORAD and all of the civilian jobs in addition to the military positions, that the armed forces is one of the province's largest employers. And with so many people in our province tied to the military, the opportunity that I've had to have a better understanding of what they do has created a deep respect not only for their everyday job, so to speak, but also the implications that that has on their families' lives.
Now, some of the military that I just referred to are here with us, and I'd like to acknowledge Colonel Joёl Roy–I do know his name–commander, 17 Wing, as well as Chief Warrant Officer Mike Robertson, who are here with us today. And I owe these two gentlemen a special thank you because Colonel Roy basically took me under his wing–no pun intended there–and certainly helped me develop, in my mind, what the envoy role in this province does and should do more of.
So I have to say that my understanding of what the military is, as I said already, has deepened because I realize that we expect so much from them. We need–we ask the military to be ready to be everything to everyone, so whether they're being called upon to provide emergency assistance during times of flood or other extreme weather circumstances, or to rescue Canadians in dangerous situations that leaves them beyond the aid of our usual emergency services, or whether they're being deployed to other countries to combat terrorism, or we're calling upon them to act as peacekeepers to provide relief and training to people of other nations, we ask them to be whatever we need them to be whenever it's needed, and we ask them to do it with minimal notice, and they do, they do.
When I've reflected on what draws people to choose this life, I would say, especially after meeting many of them now, that their complete and utter commitment to service in serving others and protecting others is, I'm sure, something that they live and breathe and is in their thoughts in every moment. It is something that I'm glad we're honouring here today, and it should be honoured.
I think that apart from the expected challenges that most of us consider military go through, one of the things that most of us probably don't think enough about are the impacts of choosing this service on family members, and it's not just the active members of the military that face challenges, but certainly their families experience this, their spouses, their children, their parents. If you can imagine for most of us who have children here what it would be like to have one parent away for months at a time and not just away, but away and in harm's way, that's just regular life experience for many of our military families here in Manitoba.
And what strikes me most of all about the details of military life that most of us don't consider beyond the danger, is that some of the challenges they face when they move from province to province, they have deep implications, so all of the things that they encounter from one province to another, whether it's different provincial regulations or jurisdictional boundaries, these can create significant barriers for when military families come to our province.
And it's become very important to me personally to help make our military members and their families feel at home. I really feel strongly that while they're here, whether they are here with us for four years or longer, that they should feel that this is their home and that we take into consideration the challenges that they have and we try to accommodate those so that it makes their time here easier. They're doing a very, very difficult, dangerous job and the very least that we can do is try and address some of the issues that have been brought forward.
And I'm extremely grateful that I've been able to have the kind of relationship with military folks here, that I've been able to encourage them to share with me some of those challenges because they are not challenges that I live, and I rely heavily on the advice and information that are provided by members of the military and Colonel Roy has been extremely fantastic in that regard, and I'm so very grateful.
I think it's extremely important for us to understand exactly what the military does for each and every one of us, and I had the great opportunity of having a tour at 17 Wing, thanks to Colonel Roy, and was able to meet with their SAR tech teams, and my gosh those are like James Bond multiplied, squared, I don't know, tripled, they're–those guys have to be able to do everything. They have to be able to rock climb. They have to be able to handle snowy–deep snowy conditions. They've got to be able to jump from a plane into water. They have to be able to provide first aid for somebody if they're dropped into the middle of a remote forest and all they have is what's on their back, and I tried that backpack on, and I tell you it was all I could to keep my legs from buckling, so I can't imagine jumping out of a plane with a parachute in that.
It really is remarkable, the implications for each of us on an everyday basis. We don't know until we need them, and, my gosh, we're lucky we've got them.
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I also had the opportunity to travel to Shilo and be a soldier for a day. I feel a bit corny saying that because it's such a serious thing, but I had a little taste of what it's like to be out in the field. And I came back sore, and I've said in the House before, I felt like I was rolled in dust. But it is just an extremely physically and mentally challenging job that these folks do day in and day out.
I also had the opportunity to have a tour at 17 Wing and go through a firing range–obviously not a real firing range, thankfully, for the people around me, because my aim wasn't very good–but it did give me just a small taste of what the ongoing training is that's required to make sure that folks are ready to go as soon as they're needed.
I also had the opportunity last year to travel to Normandy for the anniversary of D-Day. And in terms of the service that military folks today provide us, I can't not mention this, that those who have served before us, our veterans, just incredible experience to see first-hand from people in Normandy, as we moved from small village to small village where they were commemorating our dead, and seeing how that–those stories have been passed from generation to generation. And I saw older folks with young children, and it was just as vivid, I think, for each of those generations.
And I'm happy to say that when I go to a Remembrance Day service here, I see the same–that same age span. But I think the one thing that sadly is missing is some of the stories. And I certainly believe that the folks overseas actually knew our stories better than we know them there. And it's–it seems a great burden to ask veterans to share their experiences, but I hope that our current military, when they are no longer active and are our past veterans, that those stories still get shared, as difficult as it may be to share them, because it's really the only way for many of us to deeply be able to appreciate and understand exactly what these folks have done in service for their country and in service to us.
And I'm very pleased that, in 2012, this Legislature passed a bill which proclaims November 5th to 11th in each year as Remembrance Day Awareness Week and requires schools to hold Remembrance Day exercises on the last school day before Remembrance Day. And this is so important, that we have our children being engaged in hearing these stories, because we need them to have that history and we need them to understand what military is, what they stand for, what they do for us and how we should engage with them.
So I will wrap it up, but I would just like to express how deeply appreciative I am for all that the military do in this province and beyond. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker: Any further debate on the PMR? Is it the pleasure of the House, then, to–sorry about that, mic popped off.
Any further debate on the private member's resolution?
Some Honourable Members: Question.
Mr. Speaker: House ready for the question?
Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the resolution? [Agreed]
Mr. Kelvin Goertzen (Official Opposition House Leader): Could the record show that the resolution was adopted unanimously, Mr. Speaker?
Mr. Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House to let the record show that this private member's resolution, support for our–for Canadian troops serving abroad, has passed unanimously? [Agreed]
Hon. Dave Chomiak (Government House Leader): On some House business, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker: On House business.
Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, pursuant to rule 31(8), I'm announcing that the private member's resolution to be considered next Tuesday will be one put forward by the honourable member for Flin Flon (Mr. Pettersen). The title of the resolution is Overcoming Barriers to Good Jobs.
Mr. Speaker: It has been announced that, in keeping with rule 31(8), that the private member's resolution to be considered next Tuesday will be the one brought forward by the honourable member for Flin Flon, and the title of the resolution is Overcoming Barriers to Good Jobs.
Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, I'm also seeking leave of–for the subcommittee to sit concurrently–on House business, I'm asking for leave of the House to have the subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Legislative Affairs sit concurrently with the House on Thursday, May 21st, from 10 a.m. until 12 noon.
Mr. Speaker: Is there leave of the House to have the subcommittee for the Standing Committee on Legislative Affairs sit concurrently with the House on Thursday, May 21st, from 10 a.m. until 12 noon? [Agreed]
Mr. Chomiak: Yes, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to announce that the Standing Committee on Public Accounts will meet on May 21st, 2015, at 7 p.m. to consider the following reports: Auditor General's Report, Annual Report to the Legislature, dated January 2013, Chapter 2, Citizen Concerns, Part 4, North Portage Development Corporation; Auditor General Report, Annual Report to the Legislature, dated March 2014, Chapter 2, Citizen Concerns; Auditor General's Report, Follow-Up of Previously Issued Recommendations, dated May 2014, Section 1, Assessment Services Branch, and Section 4, The Province's Management of Contaminated Sites and Landfills, Section 10, Special Audit, the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie, Section 18, Report on the Rural Municipality of St. Clements, Section 19, Special Audit, Rural Municipality of St. Laurent; Auditor General's Report, Rural Municipality of St. Clements, dated June 2012; Auditor General's Report, Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet, dated August 2013.
Witnesses to be called: Deputy Minister of Municipal Government and deputy minister–and the Minister of Municipal Government (Mr. Caldwell).
Mr. Speaker: It has been announced that the Standing Committee on Public Accounts will meet on May the 21st, 2015, at 7 p.m. to consider the following reports: Auditor General's Report, Annual Report to the Legislature, dated January 2013, Chapter 2, Citizen Concerns Part 4, North Portage Development Corporation; and Auditor General's Report, Annual Report to the Legislature, dated March 2014, Chapter 2, Citizen Concerns; and Auditor General's Report, Follow-Up of Previously Issued Recommendations, dated May 2014, Section 1, Assessment Services Branch, Section 4, the Province's Management of Contaminated Sites and Landfills, Section 10, Special Audit, Rural Municipality of La Broquerie, Section 18, Report on the Rural Municipality of St. Clement, Section 19, Special Audit, Rural Municipality of St. Laurent; and Auditor General's Report, Rural Municipality of St. Clements, dated June 2012; and Auditor General's Report, Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet, dated August 2013.
And the witnesses to be called for the standing committee include the Minister of Municipal Government and the Deputy Minister of Municipal Government.
Honourable Government House Leader, on further House business?
Mr. Chomiak: Mr. Speaker, I'm seeking leave of the House to call it noon.
Mr. Speaker: Is it the leave of the House to call it 12 noon? [Agreed]
The hour being 12 noon, this House is recessed and stands recessed until 1:30 p.m. this afternoon.