DOUGLAS – Close ties between the staff of the Minister of Veterans Affairs Kent Hehr and Renfrew County were on display in Douglas as the minister visited the Bromley Veterans Remembrance Day ceremony in Douglas on Friday.
The minister was in Douglas to begin Remembrance Week.
Minister Kent Hehr’s staff officer, Lieutenant David Etmanskie, whose parents Elizabeth and Larry hail from Barry’s Bay, and the minister’s chief of staff, Christine Tabbert were raised in Pembroke.
Meeting the press before the ceremony, Minister Hehr said he was thrilled to be in Renfrew County.
“It is an absolute honour and privilege to be here in Douglas today, to be part of this great community that has a strong military history as well as a community that is going through change, where we see the young people and old people and everyone in between coming together and sharing Remembrance Week. It’s a thrill to be here and to be part of this community. It’s a place in the world I’d never been before,” Hehr said.
He said that Remembrance Day is a non-partisan event.
“It is important for us as a government to show that we represent all Canadians and that we’re being part of the mosaic this great country is. I know your Member of Parliament, Cheryl Gallant, respects and honours our veterans and our military heritage just as bravely and boldly as I do…when it comes to recognizing the contributions of the men and women who have served, this is a non partisan occasion.”
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