Canadians are good at many things, but one of our brightest points of excellence is once again in strong demand overseas.
Prime Minister Mark Carney made a surprise stop in Ukraine over the weekend, where he didn’t rule out the possibility of sending our troops overseas to act as Peacekeepers.
No decision has been made, but I think it’s something we should seriously consider.
First of all, few nations (if any) know more about peacekeeping that Canada.
More than 125,000 Canadians have served in international peacekeeping operations. In fact, Canada has served in over 50 peacekeeping missions, including every United Nations (UN) peacekeeping effort from the day it was formed until 1989.
Peacekeeping is our blood, and no one can do it the way we can.
However, there is also a price to be paid when you put yourself in the line of fire. Of those 125,000, more than 130 lost their lives.
I have been at CFB Trenton as we welcomed some of them with honour, and I have seen the impact on family, friends, fellow soldiers and those who serve behind the scenes as they made their way down the Highway of Heroes.
The price of peace is sometimes very high, but nothing less will make the guns in Ukraine fall silent.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
(PAUL MARTIN)
