Archive for August, 2008

On July 27th I had the privilege of representing the government of Canada at a ceremony commemorating the 55th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice.

The ceremony was quite touching. Three veterans described their roles in the Korean War. They spoke of their experiences, the dangers, and the battles of the Korean War. A choir from the Korean Church in Saskatoon sang hymns of remembrance and thanksgiving.  A young Korean-Canadian girl gave a short overview of Korea.

The Korean War and Canada’s contribution to it is something that I feel that we as Canadians too often overlook. We as Canadians have a strong tradition of standing up for freedom around the world. In Korea, Canada did not hesitate to fight against communism and tyranny; we were at the forefront of the battle.

The veterans who went to Korea did not only protect the freedom of the Korean people. In a very real sense they fought to protect our freedom also. This is something we need to remember and I believe we need to honour and remember the Korean War veterans for their sacrifices more than we currently do.  They should not remain the forgotten war. They should not remain the forgotten heroes.

This will be my last column until Parliament resumes in the fall and when it does I will have plenty of new information to share with you.
Have a great August.

With the summer speeding along, you may have missed some of the policy announcements that the federal government has made this summer.  So here is a quick recap of some of the announcements:

The Canada-Saskatchewan Building Canada Fund criteria have been released.  While this may not be the most glamorous announcement, over $185 million in long term funding will be available to help your local municipality to upgrade infrastructure (local roads, water systems, local recreation facilities etc.), producing tangible benefits for your community.

Minister of Health Tony Clement announced stronger labeling rules regarding allergens in food products.  The goal is to give consumers more information to protect themselves from a particular allergen, gluten sources or added sulphites that may cause harm.

Stockwell Day, Minister for Public Safety announced stricter security classifications to keep dangerous offenders from being released into minimum security prisons.

A new $242 million bridge for Saskatoon was announced, with the federal government putting in nearly $90 million.  While this bridge directly affects Saskatoon, the improved infrastructure for the city will help improve transportation in the entire area.