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Petawawa council wants entire province to support the troops
SEAN CHASE, Pembroke Daily Observer, 6 Mar 08
Article link
It what may be a first in Canada, Petawawa council passed a resolution Monday night that not only supports the Canadian military but calls for the rest of the province to do the same.
"It's very important that we, as the Town of Petawawa, which has the largest base in Canada, show support to the men and women of the Canadian Forces," said Mayor Bob Sweet, who drafted the resolution along with Councillor Treena Lemay.
"It's a difficult task that we ask (of) them."
The resolution will be forwarded to Renfrew County and all Ontario municipalities for support. Copies will also be sent to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and General Rick Hillier, the Chief of the Defence Staff and a former 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group commander.
The first draft of the motion included a section which stated "support for the troops themselves" is not necessarily support of the current Canadian mission in Afghanistan, where 2,000 Petawawa soldiers are scheduled to deploy this summer.
However, when Coun. Lemay read the motion, the wording was changed to "not necessarily any specific mission."
Mayor Sweet conceded they did not want to politicize the resolution, noting that it is the federal government through Parliament that decides what missions troops are deployed to and not municipal councils.
"I didn't want people to think if they support the resolution they are supporting the mission," Mayor Sweet added.
"That's for a different day and a different time."
That doesn't detract from the outstanding work Canadian soldiers are doing in Afghanistan, Mayor Sweet added.
In 2005, the mayor became one of the first Canadian municipal leaders to travel to Afghanistan when he joined a delegation that visited troops in Kabul and Kandahar.
"We are proud of the work they are doing," he said.
The resolution also called for the recognition of the tremendous, exemplary work and efforts carried out by Canadian troops in all their missions, whether they be NATO or United Nations peacekeeping operations.
"They do the job they are asked to do," Mayor Sweet added, noting the current Afghanistan mission has exacted a heavy toll on Petawawa where 22 local soldiers have lost their lives.
"This community has seen it's share of strife."
Council hopes the resolution will be adopted by municipalities throughout the rest of Canada once the province has thrown its support behind it.
Councillor Cy Steele wondered after if the vote shouldn't have been recorded in order to show how unanimous the support among council was.
Nevertheless, he thought it was an appropriate resolution considering Petawawa's close ties with the military, which has been such a major part of the community for over 100 years.
"What a better place for this resolution to come out of," said Coun. Steele. "We're the home of Red Fridays so this was a nice touch."
schase@thedailyobserver.ca
Petawawa council wants entire province to support the troops
SEAN CHASE, Pembroke Daily Observer, 6 Mar 08
Article link
It what may be a first in Canada, Petawawa council passed a resolution Monday night that not only supports the Canadian military but calls for the rest of the province to do the same.
"It's very important that we, as the Town of Petawawa, which has the largest base in Canada, show support to the men and women of the Canadian Forces," said Mayor Bob Sweet, who drafted the resolution along with Councillor Treena Lemay.
"It's a difficult task that we ask (of) them."
The resolution will be forwarded to Renfrew County and all Ontario municipalities for support. Copies will also be sent to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and General Rick Hillier, the Chief of the Defence Staff and a former 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group commander.
The first draft of the motion included a section which stated "support for the troops themselves" is not necessarily support of the current Canadian mission in Afghanistan, where 2,000 Petawawa soldiers are scheduled to deploy this summer.
However, when Coun. Lemay read the motion, the wording was changed to "not necessarily any specific mission."
Mayor Sweet conceded they did not want to politicize the resolution, noting that it is the federal government through Parliament that decides what missions troops are deployed to and not municipal councils.
"I didn't want people to think if they support the resolution they are supporting the mission," Mayor Sweet added.
"That's for a different day and a different time."
That doesn't detract from the outstanding work Canadian soldiers are doing in Afghanistan, Mayor Sweet added.
In 2005, the mayor became one of the first Canadian municipal leaders to travel to Afghanistan when he joined a delegation that visited troops in Kabul and Kandahar.
"We are proud of the work they are doing," he said.
The resolution also called for the recognition of the tremendous, exemplary work and efforts carried out by Canadian troops in all their missions, whether they be NATO or United Nations peacekeeping operations.
"They do the job they are asked to do," Mayor Sweet added, noting the current Afghanistan mission has exacted a heavy toll on Petawawa where 22 local soldiers have lost their lives.
"This community has seen it's share of strife."
Council hopes the resolution will be adopted by municipalities throughout the rest of Canada once the province has thrown its support behind it.
Councillor Cy Steele wondered after if the vote shouldn't have been recorded in order to show how unanimous the support among council was.
Nevertheless, he thought it was an appropriate resolution considering Petawawa's close ties with the military, which has been such a major part of the community for over 100 years.
"What a better place for this resolution to come out of," said Coun. Steele. "We're the home of Red Fridays so this was a nice touch."
schase@thedailyobserver.ca
