Fredericton – David Coon, MLA for Fredericton South and Leader of the Green Party of New Brunswick issued the following statement in recognition of Remembrance Day on Friday, November 11, 2016.

Today, November 11th, we commemorate those who have lost their lives in wars and conflicts in service to our country. The consequences of their sacrifice spans the generations. For the families and friend of those who died as a result of serving in Afghanistan, the grief and hurt remain fresh. We remember your loved ones, as we remember all those who went before.

This is special Remembrance Day, as in a matter of months we will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, where the Canadian Corps succeeded when all previous Allied efforts had failed. It came at the terrible cost of 3,598 Canadian lives, with 7,000 wounded at Vimy on April 9, 1917. In recognition of their sacrifice, France ceded 107 hectares of its territory to Canada where our National Vimy Memorial stands to this day. On April 9, 2017, Canada will hold ceremonies in major cities across our country and at the Vimy Memorial.

This year is also the 100th anniversary of Beaumont-Hamel, the First World War battle that saw hundreds of Newfoundland soldiers slaughtered on the French battlefield in the opening day of the traumatic Battle of the Somme. I had the privilege of visiting the special exhibition to commemorate Beaumont-Hamel in St. John’s in July with parliamentarians from across Canada.
Today is a communal day of hallowed remembrance, in which I hope all New Brunswickers will participate.

We shall never forget them.