This Remembrance Day, it’s good to be mindful that Canada’s military commitments didn’t end with the Second World War or Korean conflict.
Canada has soldiers, sailors, airmen, police, and diplomats scattered across the world.
Some of those postings are relatively high-profile, as with the 850 members of the Canadian Forces posted to Operation Impact in the fight against ISIS in Iraq.
Others are more obscure.
How many people could name Operation Crocodile (Canada’s contribution to the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) or Operation Soprano (a UN mission to the South Sudan)?
These operations are small, some with fewer than a dozen military personnel. Yet they can make a real difference for people far distant from Canada.
Operation Render Safe, for example, saw just 18 Canadians travel to the Solomon Islands in 2016. The land there is still scarred more than 70 years after the battles of the Second World War.
Canadians removed 747 explosive devices – more than three tonnes of aging bombs.
One of the most idealistic goals of Canada is to use our military and police abroad to bring peace.
Not every effort will be successful, and not every mission will be easy.
But as we honour and remember the sacrifices of those who died in major conflicts, we should also recall those who worked hard to prevent further wars.
Lest we forget, the fewer future sacrifices we have to remember on Nov. 11, the better it is for all of us, as a nation and a community.
– M.C.
