National Peacekeepers’ Day commemorated in Angus

A special military ceremony was held at Peacekeepers Park Friday morning for National Peacekeepers' Day, which recognizes the greatest single loss of Canadian lives on a peacekeeping mission.

On August 9, 1974, nine Canadians who were in-flight on a peacekeeping mission in the Middle East were shot down by Syrian missiles.

50 years later, hundreds of troops and local politicians attended Friday’s commemoration at Peacekeepers Park, a site that is directly related to that 1974 incident as two of the Canadians who were shot down were from Angus. Local members of the Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations Peacekeeping (CAVUNP) chapters reflected on how they found out about the tragedy.

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“I was just dumbfounded that we would lose that many in one incident under those circumstances,” said Bob George, a past CANVUNP chapter vice president. “We were shot down by the country we were there to help.”

Veteran and current CANVUNP chapter president Fern Taillefer served in the Middle East three years later in 1977.

“It’s a day that I don’t want anybody to forget,” said Taillefer of the Central Ontario CANVUNP chapter. “It’s important for history, for kids to know what transpired in the history of peacekeeping, and why they have the history that they have today.”

National Peacekeepers' Day in Canada was declared in 2008. For Essa Township Mayor Sandie MacDonald, it’s the day her World War II veteran father died, so she sees it as a day to celebrate his life and all those who have served.

“We’re very proud of what my father did, but also very proud of each and every peacekeeper veteran that has [served] their country,” said MacDonald.

The CAVUNP hopes to expand Peacekeepers park in the near future by adding space to commemorate those who were lost on training missions prior to being called into action.