Remarks by
The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC COMMEMORATION CEREMONY
HMCS Chippewa
Sunday, May 5, 2024, 10:30 a.m.
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Members, veterans and friends of the Royal Canadian Navy, fellow Canadians united in remembrance, we meet today with hearts filled with gratitude.
We have gathered here on Treaty One land and in the heartland of the Red River Metis, to commemorate the service of sacrifice of Canadians who participated in the longest battle of the Second World War.
In a province that is the present-day and ancestral home of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Dakota, Dene, Inuit and Red River Metis peoples, we honour men and women who have defended justice, dignity and freedom for all.
Seventy nine years ago this week, the deadly struggle to keep the Atlantic Ocean open for shipping came to a close with the surrender of Nazi Germany and the end of the Second World War in Europe.
Victory in the Second World War victory depended on the service and sacrifice of Canadians in battle – and in countless roles in the production and delivery of weapons and essential supplies.
No part played by Canadians was more important than that played by the Royal Canadian Navy and Merchant Marine. Braving wolfpacks of submarines as well as winter storms, they provided our allies and our forces with the supplies they needed to endure the onslaught of war and to roll back the advances of Nazi forces.
And as we will be reminded today, this victory came at a great price – with more than 4,000 deaths and nearly 100 Canadian navy and merchant ships lost.
From the St. Lawrence River to the English Channel, Canadians made the ultimate sacrifice in those cold northern waters.
And today, in defending Canadian waters and representing Canadian interests and values in missions around the world, the Royal Canadian Navy carries on the tradition of service and courage.
As Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, I thank all past and present members for their service and I join you remembering those who fought and won the Battle of the Atlantic. May our gratitude for their service inspire us all, as in our careers, our volunteer commitments and our homes and neighbourhoods.
Thank you. Merci. Meegwich. Shalom
