SEPTEMBER 13 CEREMONY BUILDS ON GROWING NATIONAL AND

INTERNATIONAL MOMENTUM

NATIONAL WAR MONUMENT, OTTAWA, SEPTEMBER 13, 2026: The Merchant Navy Commemorative Theme Project (MNCTP) proudly marked Merchant Navy Veterans’ Day at Canada’s National War Memorial, celebrating the courage, sacrifice and enduring legacy of merchant mariners past and present.

Mr. Stéphane Ouellette, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Merchant Navy Commemorative Theme Project (MNCTP), was joined by the Honourable Mona Fortier, Member of Parliament for Ottawa—Vanier—Gloucester, representing the Government of Canada; Senator Tony Loffreda, representing the Senate of Canada; Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, Canadian Armed Forces; veterans’ organizations; members of the diplomatic corps; Navy League Cadets; and members of the public in observing Merchant Navy Veterans’ Day at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.

The Ottawa ceremony followed an important wave of recognition on September 3, 2026, when Manitoba declared Merchant Navy Week and permanently recognized the Battle of the Atlantic and Canadian Merchant Navy at the cenotaph facing the Manitoba Legislative Assembly. At the same time, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality proclaimed Merchant Navy Day, reinforcing Cape Breton’s proud maritime heritage.

Together, these commemorations demonstrate growing momentum for Merchant Navy recognition across Canada and beyond.

Over the years, the MNCTP has been privileged to receive outstanding support from Veterans Affairs Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Canadian Navy, veterans’ organizations, governments and communities across Canada. This support has helped preserve the legacy of Merchant Navy veterans, strengthen national remembrance and advance a broader vision for recognition of merchant mariners past and present.

The initiative also forms part of OpUNITY, launched by the MNCTP in 2015 to advance broader recognition of September 3. Proclamations have been secured in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia, with formal support received from Alberta, Ontario, and New Brunswick.

Internationally, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand recognize September 3, while the United States, India, China and the United Nations/International Maritime Organization maintain other important maritime observances.

Building upon this foundation, the MNCTP continues to advance its long-term vision of universal recognition of September 3 as Merchant Navy Day, culminating in a proposed United Nations resolution establishing International Merchant Navy Day.

Such recognition would provide a common international occasion to remember merchant mariners who served and sacrificed in times of war while acknowledging the indispensable contribution of contemporary seafarers and the global maritime industry to security, defence, trade, supply-chain resilience and global prosperity.

HONOURING THE PAST • CELEBRATING THE PRESENT • INSPIRING THE FUTURE

WE LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND