WINNIPEG/CAPE BRETON, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026: The Merchant Navy Commemorative Theme Project (MNCTP) is celebrating two important milestones in the growing movement to recognize the service, sacrifice, and continuing importance of merchant mariners.

In Manitoba, longstanding recognition of Merchant Navy Veterans’ Day, first established in 2015, has now been strengthened through the declaration of Merchant Navy Week. This achievement is further marked by the permanent inscription of the Battle of the Atlantic and the Canadian Merchant Navy on the Cenotaph facing the Manitoba Legislative Assembly.

At the same time, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality has issued a historic proclamation recognizing Merchant Navy Day, reinforcing Cape Breton’s deep maritime heritage and enduring connection to Canada’s wartime and modern maritime story.

These achievements reflect the leadership of Dwight MacAulay, Honorary Governor of the MNCTP and Regional Director for Manitoba, and Ben Haighway, MNCTP Regional Director for the Island of Cape Breton, together with the support of HMCS Chippawa, the Province of Manitoba, Mayor Cecil Clarke, and the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

The MNCTP’s vision is universal recognition of September 3 as Merchant Navy Day, culminating in a United Nations resolution establishing International Merchant Navy Day. Since 2015, OpUNITY has secured proclamations in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia, with formal support from Alberta, Ontario, and New Brunswick.

During the Second World War alone, Canadian Merchant Navy vessels made 25,343 voyages from North America to Britain, transporting more than 164,783,921 tons of vital cargo. The Royal Canadian Navy suffered more than 2,000 dead and the loss of 24 warships. More than 900 RCAF and Canadian Army personnel were also lost at sea. Over 2,199 Canadian Merchant Navy seamen were killed across both World Wars. In parallel, more than 250,000 American Merchant Marine braved the world’s oceans; over 6,835 were killed, 11,000 wounded, and 604 taken prisoner of war, with 61 perishing in captivity.

Internationally, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand also recognize September 3, while the United States, India, China, and the UN/IMO maintain important maritime observances. Together, these provide a strong foundation for a global day honouring merchant mariners past and present while recognizing the maritime industry’s essential role in security, defence, trade, and economic resilience.

These latest achievements demonstrate growing momentum toward a national and international framework of recognition—linking remembrance of the past with the indispensable role of today’s global maritime community.