Today marks National Peacekeeper’s Day, a day to look back on the contributions of Canadians working abroad to make the world a safer place.
In a statement today, Minister of Veterans Affairs Steven Blaney reminded Canadians of the country’s peacekeeping legacy.
“Our peacekeepers have made tremendous personal sacrifices to defend Canada’s interests and values, while contributing to international peace and security. These men and women have earned their honoured place in our country’s military history. Their commitment has earned Canada a worldwide reputation as a country that supports and protects peace.”
Here is a look back at some of the highlights of Canada’s peacekeeping history.
1954
Lester B. Pearson kicks off Canada’s peacekeeping tradition, proposing a multinational United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force be sent to Egypt during the Suez Canal crisis. Approximately 1,007 Canadian peacekeepers took part in the mission.
1964
Canadian peacekeepers along with a UN team enter Cyprus to diffuse the conflict between Greek and Turkish Cypriots – starting Canada’s longest peacekeeping mission. The United Nations have maintained their peacekeeping presence in Cyprus since then. Although most Canadian peacekeepers were pulled out in 1993, one person remains.
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1973
Approximately 1,145 Canadian peacekeepers head to the Middle East to supervise the ceasefire between Egyptian and Israeli forces at the end of the Yom Kippur War.
1974
August 9, 1974 marked Canada’s deadliest day in peacekeeping after nine Canadian peacekeepers serving on UNEF II were killed when their aircraft was shot down over Syria.
1978
Following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the UN dispatched peacekeepers — including Canadians — to Lebanon to make sure Israel left and to help the Lebanese government restore their authority in the area.
1988
UN Peacekeepers win the Nobel Peace Prize.
1992
Canadian peacekeepers kept busy in Somalia between 1992 and 1995. The main goal of the missions was to keep aid flowing into the lawless and famine-stricken country. During the mission, some Canadian soldiers savagely beat and kill a Somali teenager, Shidane Arone, tarnishing the reputation of the Canadian military.
1992
Canadian peacekeepers are sent to Croatia, and later to Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of a United Nations force. The UN mission works to deliver humanitarian assistance and protect civilians, but is unable to prevent all incidents, such as the massacre at Srebrenica.
1993
Led by Lt-Gen. Roméo Dallaire, Canadian peacekeepers in Rwanda attempt to save lives in the midst of a genocide. Dallaire later documents his story in the book, Shake Hands with The Devil, which eventually became a movie.
2000
Six hundred Canadian personnel helped to guide East Timor to independence by organizing elections and helping to establish a government and the rule of law.
2004
In Haiti, peacekeepers have struggled since 2004 to build a working government after decades of political unrest. The focus shifted to include more humanitarian aid after the 2010 earthquake.
2009
Canadians are among the ranks of UN peacekeepers waiting for a diplomatic solution to the crisis in the Darfur region of the Sudan. Meanwhile, they are helping ensure aid gets to the millions of displaced people.
2011
Today, Canada ranks 53 out of 108 countries when it comes to its contributions to global peacekeeping, slipping two spots since 2006. Egypt and Rwanda, on the other hand, are now among the top ten contributors to UN peacekeeping operations.
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