The Naval Association of Canada is encouraging their membership to sign the petition to designate the first Sunday in May as a national day of observance to be Battle of the Atlantic Sunday with the first observed date to be 07 May 2024. The link below will enable you to sign the petition if you wish to do so. The Canadian Naval Memorial Trust feels that it is a worthy of our vote.
PETITION E-4639 – PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
Whereas:
* The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous battle of the Second World War; * 4,488 sailors, merchant mariners, aviators and citizens from Canada and Newfoundland paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives; * Allied victory in the Second World War would not have been possible without victory at sea; * Canada’s Merchant Navy, along with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), played a key role in the Allied efforts of the Battle of the Atlantic; and * Every year, on the first Sunday in May, the Maritime Community gathers to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic.
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
1. Designate by resolution the first Sunday of May as a national day of observance to be Battle of the Atlantic Sunday with the first observed date to be the 7th day of May in the year 2024;
2. Seek a proclamation of designation by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada to be declared nationally, in advance of the first observed date, on the 16th day of April 2024: the 79th anniversary date of the last Canadian ship sunk during the Second World War, HMCS Esquimalt;
3. Commemorate and recognize the contributions of Canadians and Allied forces during the Battle of the Atlantic; and
4. Raise national public awareness of the Battle of the Atlantic. Lest We Forget.
