Calgary marks Peacekeepers’ Day to honour service and sacrifice

Calgarians commemorated National Peacekeepers’ Day on Sunday in southwest Garrison Green, honouring Canadians lost in peacekeeping missions, which comes on the heels of a newly announced pay raise that some say is sorely needed.

The day, normally on Aug. 9 but is sometimes marked on the closest Sunday, is an official day of remembrance in Canada.

It was made a commemorative day in 1974 after nine peacekeepers were killed when their aircraft was shot down over Syria.

“I happened to watch the aircraft that was shot down on its way to Damascus in 1974, so if my voice starts to break, that’s the reason,”  Lt.-Col. Rick Wright of the Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations Peacekeeping told CityNews.

Lt.-Col. JJ Wright explains his time in Croatia while serving in the Canadian Armed Forces in the 1990s, which is when war broke out in the former Yugoslavia.

“I did end up losing one soldier. The first one we lost in action there,” he said.

A monument in Garrison Green commemorates hundreds of Canadian soldiers lost in peacekeeping missions.

“This is a very, very special day,” said Col. Donald S. Ethell, former Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.

“The names they have engraved on this wall is 256, and then Afghanistan came along, and you will see some other walls because we had to build them and add the names to the fallen there.

“So this is very near and dear to us.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced increased pay for Canadian Armed Forces members over the next 12 months by 20 per cent, and plans to increase military spending to five per cent of GDP–3.5 per cent for core military spending and 1.5 per cent for defence-related infrastructure.

“It’s about time,” Wright said.

“It’s long overdue, and we retired people are waiting for ours, but we know we are never going to get one,” he said with a laugh.

Martin says it’s long overdue, but will provide an incentive to folks in the military.

“The first pay raise was in 1999, so from my point a view, I think it’s good cause it will keep people around,” he said.

Peacekeepers Day is both a tribute to Canadians who have served and died in the name of peace and a reminder that the role of peacekeepers is far from over, as Canadian Armed Forces members still serve around the world where peace is fragile.

For those who’ve worn the uniform, it’s a day to remember the sacrifices made, the friendships forged, and the hope they carried into each mission.