New President-2022

Thank you for electing me National President. I will do my best to live up to the high standard
set by my predecessors.

We have much to do in the next two years. Our marking of National Peacekeepers’ Day is
roughly one month away, and Canadians look to us for leadership on how best to observe this important
occasion. While the ceremony in Ottawa reflects one end of the spectrum, this is not the only way to
recognize the service of over 125,000 Veterans who have served and the 130 who gave their lives in
such service. For our smaller Chapters without a dedicated Peacekeeping monument, it could be as
simple as inviting the local news media to witness the laying of a wreath at a nearby cenotaph by a few
Blue Berets. It all counts, and if we do not mark National Peacekeepers’ Day, no one else will, either.

This year is the 30th anniversary of the start of the United Nations Protection Force in the
Former Yugoslavia, or UNPROFOR, mission, which saw Canadian contributions to UN efforts top 3,300
personnel continuously overseas. While our numbers have been drastically reduced over the years, the
59 individuals currently deployed on UN duty in Cyprus, Haiti, Mali, Congo, South Sudan and UNTSO still
deserve our recognition and support. We should also not be shy in asking our elected representatives
what became of the Government commitment in 2016 to provide an ongoing presence of 860 Canadians
on UN missions.

Next year will feature the 75th anniversary of continuous Canadian participation in United
Nations Peacekeeping missions, as well as the 35th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize to UN
Peacekeeping Forces. In addition, the RCMP will mark their 150th anniversary. At the national level,
CAVUNP is already engaged in orchestrating a number of activities to highlight Canada’s longest
continuous military operational activity, but there is much that can also be done at the local level. One
idea that is paying dividends is to record a member presenting his overseas experiences at a regular
Chapter meeting, inviting the news media to be present and sharing the recording with them and
anyone else who might be interested, like Veterans Affairs Canada social media.

I also know that many Chapters are concerned with dwindling membership numbers. I share
this concern, though like most of you, I do not have a magic solution. But what has been successful is
listening to Veterans when and where they gather, and inviting those with UN experiences to join us. I
offer this to you because the approach has had some success in Ottawa.

Finally, I encourage you to support your Association and your Chapters by being active
members. Attend the meetings. Contribute your thoughts and stories to the Thin Blue Line. And please
feel free to talk, call or write to me; I am always eager to hear what you have to say and support
CAVUNP.