Honour, Not Politics, on Remembrance Day

A Letter to the Conservative Party of Canada

The following is a letter I just sent to the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and to my local MP. It is slightly edited to preserve my anonymity.

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Dear Mr Poilievre and Mr (local MP), 

It’s with some trepidation that I’ve decided to write you both to address a couple of subjects that have been troubling me for some time, reaching a tipping point this past week. 

First, I am a retired Canadian Army officer with 25 years service. I served in (names and numbers of tours), with NATO, and on multiple domestic operations over the course of my career. I was medically retired after sustaining multiple injuries during my service.  As a disabled veteran, I’ve been incredibly dismayed at the politicization of the upcoming 2024 Remembrance Day ceremonies, for which your party bears a significant share of the blame. 

Some time ago, your MPs published and shared very widely a complete fabrication concerning a lack of flags at June’s D-Day commemoration. It was demonstrably false, but the accusation was circulated widely on social media and is still present on many CPC feeds. This was the first of repeated attempts to stoke unfounded outrage around veterans' issues.

The latest examples of rage farming have occurred this week. You’ve made huge issues of small changes to prayer services at the upcoming November 11th ceremonies and, much worse, encouraged a pile-on against the staff of a small elementary school in Nova Scotia. The latter was particularly disturbing. The school’s staff made a well-intentioned error in judgment. Their hearts were in the right place. Yet you actively participated in a campaign of harassment and intimidation against the school’s staff. Almost as bad, you used veterans and serving members as props in this campaign. 

I was absolutely disgusted. Remembrance Day should be a hallowed day where we remember the sacrifices of all who served, not a time to score political gotcha points. Most veterans I know, and I know hundreds, served and fought because we live in a democracy that respects how individuals choose to honour our service — or, indeed, to choose not to. 

Frankly, this needs to end. We are about to be faced with a serious challenge from the United States. Donald Trump is no friend of Canada and we are about to see a period of what another writer has called “gangster isolationism” in Washington. Addressing this requires seriousness and integrity - and unity. Right now, I’m not seeing that from any party. 

I’m begging you to stop this and to begin paying attention to defence and security issues and to what could be a very serious economic threat from the US. The CPC doesn’t even have a true defence policy, an omission that seems alarming in today’s volatile geopolitical climate. National security should not be a partisan issue, yet you and the Liberals are trying your hardest to make it one. 

My apologies if I appear frustrated but I am aghast at the attitude of our political leadership right now. Serious times call for serious people, not ones who engage in name-calling and performative outrage. It can start by observing Remembrance Day with the dignity and solemnity it deserves. Remembrance Day is an opportunity for all Canadians, across political divides, to stand together in honour of those who served. Let us not lose sight of that purpose.

Yours truly,

Black Cloud Six

(Real name and address, obviously)