OTTAWA, TODAY — The Honourable Mauril Bélanger, Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Vanier, and General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff, Canadian Armed Forces, were joined today by Canadian Armed Forces members, family, and friends to lay balsam wreaths at the headstones of our departed heroes of the Canadian military. The Beechwood National Military Cemetery event was also accompanied by a CC-130 Hercules flyby, courtesy of the Royal Canadian Air Force, 8 Wing Trenton.

Wreaths Across Canada (WAC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring over 225,000 deceased members of the Canadian Armed Forces that are buried in cemeteries across Canada.  This is accomplished by placing wreaths of remembrance at the headstones of our deceased men and women of the Canadian military.  This ceremony is carried out the first Sunday of December, at a time of year when families typically begin to gather.

The first WAC ceremony was held in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, in 2009. The inaugural Beechwood National Military Cemetery event took place in 2011, and expanded to include the City of Winnipeg in 2014. And today, Wreaths Across Canada is pleased to announce that the Notre Dame Cemetery, in Ottawa, has been added to its community of annual events.

Mr. Stéphane Ouellette, President and CEO of the Merchant Navy Commemorative Theme Project (MNCTP) and Founder/President of the Colonel Gardam Lifetime Achievement Award Institute, was appointed Founding President of the WAC (Notre-Dame Cemetery Division) and launched the inaugural ceremony today at Notre-Dame Cemetery.

WAC is both inspired and modeled on Wreaths Across America, a non-for-profit organization established in 1992, located at the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, USA. Wreaths Across Canada is different from other military remembrance ceremonies. By inviting all Canadians to actively participate in the laying of wreaths at the headstones of our fallen, we not only honour and remember Canadian Armed Forces members that lost their lives in combat, we as importantly honour and remember all those that served.

The balsam wreath symbolizes Canada’s gratitude to all the men and women that faithfully served their country, and defended and preserved her freedoms and systems of democracy. In this way, the wreaths remain in the cemetery until January 2016.

This year’s Guest of Honour, at the inaugural Notre Dame ceremony, is Vice-Admiral (Retired) Ron Buck, former Chief of the Maritime Staff, former Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, immediate Past President of the Navy League of Canada, and first time recipient of the Colonel John Gardam Lifetime Achievement Award.

Additional Notes:

The Honourable Janice C. Filmon, C.M., O.M., L.L.D., Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba, and the Honourable Deanne Crothers, Manitoba’s Special Envoy for Military Affairs, will be attending the Wreaths Across Canada—Winnipeg Branch—Remembrance Ceremony.  This event will be taking place on December 6, 2015, at the Stone of Remembrance in the Brookside Cemetery Field of Honour, formally commencing at 1:30 p.m.

Contact:

Wreaths Across Canada (Notre-Dame Cemetery Division)

Mr. Stéphane Ouellette

Founding President/

Director of Communications
National Board of Directors
Wreaths Across Canada - Beechwood

Tel: 613.716.4137

ouellettes123@bell.net

Captain Bettina McCulloch-Drake 17 Wing Public Affairs Officer

Tel: 204.833.2500 ext. 6499 
Cell: 204.227.3439

Bettina.McCullochDrake@forces.gc.ca