“Remembrance Day started as a way to remember and honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the First World War. More than 60,000 Canadians were killed in the four-year conflict, and more than 172,000 were injured.

“Our country’s pivotal role in that victory gave Canada a new standing among nations. It inspired a continuing fight for freedom in the Second World War, the Korean War, and in war and peacekeeping missions around the world.

“Just as the Great War was ending, a deadly influenza struck the war-weary world. Just over a century later, we find ourselves facing the COVID-19 crisis, an echo of that early pandemic. We recognize, throughout history, that suffering and loss are universally part of human life. But so too are compassion, hope, faith and perseverance.

“As Albertans and Canadians, we can seek the light of better days through our time-honoured defence of freedom, democracy, human dignity and the rule of law. A century ago, Canadians died for these core values. Today, in remembrance of their sacrifice, let us live for them.”