Released on November 8, 2017
Premier Brad Wall joined dignitaries and representatives of the provincial public service at the Legislative Building to pay tribute to Saskatchewan’s veterans, those in the public service who have served, and those who gave their lives in times of conflict.
“Six-thousand, four hundred names are etched on the Saskatchewan War Memorial,” Wall said. “That is 6,400 men and women who never came home to their loved ones. We honour these men and women and those from across the country who have sacrificed for our freedom.”
During this year’s ceremony, a federal plaque was unveiled in commemoration of the thousands of Canadian nurses who have provided skilled and compassionate care to the sick and wounded in battle since 1885. Professional nurses first entered the Canadian Army Medical Corps as Nursing Sisters in 1904 and were the first women in the British Empire to receive military rank. Hundreds of nurses were decorated for their work in difficult conditions and under fire during the First and Second World Wars, while dozens died from direct enemy action.
This plaque commemorates the work they did enhancing health care in Canada’s overseas conflicts and leading the way for women in the armed forces. This year’s ceremony also coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The victory of the four day battle, which left 3,600 Canadian soldiers dead and more than 7,000 wounded, helped to solidify the Canadian Corps and Canada as a nation.
Following the service, the Lieutenant Governor, the Provincial Secretary, and Ms. Joanne Peterson, President of the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association, laid a wreath at the Saskatchewan War Memorial on the Legislative grounds.
The memorial lists the names of Saskatchewan’s fallen in conflicts throughout the generations. There is also an online commemoration of those from Saskatchewan who lost their lives in war. The Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial features more than 11,000 war casualties and their stories.
Find out more by visiting www.svwm.ca/.
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For more information, contact:
Lauren Golosky
Intergovernmental Affairs
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4031
Email: lauren.golosky@gov.sk.ca