In the House with Patty Hajdu: Remembrance Day: Service is Sacrifice

Remembrance Day, like everything else, looks a little different this year - but its spirit is the same. Every day, Canadians join our Armed Forces in service of peace and security at home and around the world. On Remembrance Day, we give thanks for their service, and we think of what service means for Canadian veterans and their families.

Canadians, at any given moment, are stationed around the world to support our allies and maintain peace in unstable regions - missing their partners, their friends, their children and their parents; missing their favourite local spots and celebrations, and missing holidays.

And during this pandemic, Canadians serving abroad and their families must deal with the anxieties and uncertainties without the support they would normally offer one another. I also want to commemorate and commend the bravery and sacrifice of those in our Armed Forces that have served at home this year, caring for our seniors in Long Term Care.

Serving your country and your community comes at a cost. Some Canadians have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  It is our duty to hold their loved ones in our hearts, be grateful for their service, and remember.

This year, I thank those that serve, that choose to sacrifice, in the name of good, in the name of peace, and in the name of their communities and country. Thank you.

Patty Hajdu is the Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay-Superior North and Canada's federal Minister of Health.