Each year at 11 o’clock on the morning of November 11, Canadians observe a moment of silence to honour our veterans. In that quiet moment, we strive to imagine their faces, their lives…and their deaths…and what it must be like for their families left at home.

Thanks to the more than 2.3 million Canadians who have served over the course of our nation’s history and the more than 118,000 individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice, we enjoy the fundamental freedoms of thought and belief, are free to speak without fear, enjoy the freedom of peaceful assembly, have the freedom to choose those who govern our country, as well as the many other rights and freedoms enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

I attended the Remembrance Day ceremony at Connect Charter School yesterday, where the 600 students sat in respectful silence as special guest Master Corporal Peter Woolbridge (Retd) related his experiences in service to Canada. Thank you, sir. And thanks also to every other man and woman who has served, or continues to serve Canada during times of war, conflict and peace.

I will take your advice to heart and spend Remembrance Day as intended: in reflection of the good fortune we enjoy as Canadians, thanks to fellow Canadians like you.