Mishall RehmanPrime Minister Justin Trudeau visited CFB Borden on June 9 for the unveiling of the new Borden Legacy Monument, part of the CFB Borden Centennial Celebrations.
“Today, we all come together to take part in these centennial celebrations, united in common purpose. The Borden Legacy Monument is a fitting honour to those who serve in uniform to protect our values and way of life at home and abroad,” said Trudeau.
A gift from the local communities of Simcoe County, the monument, honours the two million men and women who have trained at CFB Borden over the last 100 years and will continue to recognize the upwards of 20,000 sailors, soldiers, and aviators that train at the base each year.
“The monument unveiled at Borden today, during the Centennial celebrations, is a longstanding symbol of honour and remembrance bestowed upon all the women and men who wear the uniform in service to Canada. It demonstrates one community’s proud commitment to and passion for the Canadian Armed Forces,” said Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence.
Also during the ceremony, an urn containing battlefield soil patriated from Vimy, France, where 66,000 Canadian soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice, was enshrined in a niche in the monument. The soil was retrieved from Vimy in June 2015 during a ceremony attended by Lawrence Cannon, Canadian Ambassador to France, a delegation from Simcoe County, members from Base Borden, French Forces, and the Vimy Foundation.
“On behalf of the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, I am honoured by this gift to CFB Borden. Those involved in the Legacy Project, led by Honorary Colonel Jamie Massie, have thereby shown the greatest respect to our military personnel – those who have come before, who are here today, and who will serve Canada in the future,” said General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff.
