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LETTER: Engage in acts of remembrance at home this year, says Khanjin

Barrie-Innisfil MPP urges residents to wear a poppy and support veterans despite COVID-19
Remembrance Day
File photo

BarrieToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected]. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following is from Barrie-Innisfil MPP Andrea Khanjin regarding Remembrance Day. Links to local Remembrance Day ceremonies will be available on her website at AndreaMPP.com.
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On Remembrance Day 2020 – in the year that we mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War – we remember, recognize, and honour all of our veterans.

Although it is impossible to repay all those Canadians who have served, are serving now, or will serve in the future, we must give them our thanks and remember their service and sacrifice.

The brave men and women of our Armed Forces deserve nothing less. The freedom and prosperity that we enjoy today are thanks to generations of men and women who served.

As part of the military caucus at Queen’s Park, I have been active in advocating for veterans and members of the Canadian Armed Forces. As a gesture to express how grateful Ontarians are, our government has provided free access to our provincial parks to veterans and active-duty personnel.

Ontario’s provincial parks are jewels in the province’s crown and deserve to be enjoyed by those who have served and sacrifice to protect our freedoms.

Last year, our government announced The Memorial to Honour Canadian Heroes of the War in Afghanistan – a new monument on the grounds of Queen’s Park to honour those who served in Canada’s most recent conflict.

I know that the service of those in the Canadian Forces are made possible only by the support of their families. Whether they served in the World Wars, Korea, Afghanistan or on peacekeeping missions around the world, it is the sacrifice made by families on the home front that enabled their loved ones to serve.

To support families, our government launched the Ontario Military Families Relocation Hotline – a dedicated, one-stop phone number and online resource hub to help CAF members and their families.

This year, we cannot mark Remembrance Day with large events, but we can still engage in acts of remembrance while remaining home.

Please buy a poppy this year and wear it with pride. Every donation to a poppy box, which will be in place at various banks, stores, and restaurants, goes directly to supporting our veterans.

The Royal Canadian Legion, which supports and advocates for Canada’s veterans, is facing significant financial challenges due to COVID-19. So, please consider donating an extra loonie when you purchase your poppy.

If you do not carry change with you, please consider contacting the Barrie Legion ([email protected]) or the Innisfil (Lefroy/Belle Ewart) Legion ([email protected]) to arrange to make a donation.

Observe a minute of silence at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, and reflect on all those Canadians who valiantly fought for our country and the values for which it stands.

With social distancing practices in place and following the advice of the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, limited ceremonies will still occur in Barrie and Innisfil.

Andrea Khanjin
Barrie-Innisfil MPP

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