A day of golf to raise $$ for the @JunoBeachCentre at the Queens Own Rifles Foundation. Every thing raised today is being generously donated towards the monument we are building to remember many of their boys and 381 men in total on D-Day. 103yr D-Day veteran (Winnipeg Rifles) Jim Parks started things off with the 25 pounder. We are blessed to do this work and any dollar today is going to be 100% matched by Lysander / Canso funds. the-juno-beach-challenge.rai…

🧵: As I sit on a train to Normandy, tomorrow we will celebrate with the world a UNESCO designation for the landing beaches region, where 14,000 landed on D-Day. By the the end of that historic day, Canadian forces stood the furthest of all landings, and we can say we stood at the very front of the free world. Not unlike today, Canada has demonstrated the global standard for peace, order and good government. On a day where our very existence is under attack, I feel we as Canadians should seriously remind ourselves how sacred and significant the sacrifice of our war dead was - to allow us to live as the freest and most respected country in the world. This announcement by the University of Alberta yesterday gives me such a broken heart for this reason. As a truly world class institution in its own right, a jewel for our city, an academic and economic point of pride for us, it is making a regrettable mistake for a modest modern convenience and "gain". To save a few seats on the second floor of 100 year old campus hall, using accessibility as the foil, they will be removing a 101 year-old war memorial to the fallen students and faculty from world wars 1 & 2. This is not a normal war memorial and was chose to be an Organ, to use the power of music and art to preserve and celebrate the memory of her students. Standing out on that list is Lt. Robert Hampton Gray, Canada's last recipient of the Victoria Cross. It was dedicated in 1925 for WWI dead, again in 1945 for those of WWII. In 1978 the school received grant funding to restore and replace the old organ with the new Casavant in place now, and it was again re-dedicated as a memorial. Something the school denied up until a few months ago. The decision to move this tribute is completely unnecessary and was done with zero public consultation or consideration.. They are now moving forward with giving a $3M asset to a church in southern Alberta church for $1. Even the organ manucture advises against the move. I am heartened and that its value is seen - at least as an organ - by this small church. But it was dedicated in the memory of university students and faculty who paid the ultimate price for us to be here in freedom and having this debate. There is simply not an acceptable decision by the University and the total lack of stakeholder and public engagement is at best an indictment of the school's priorities. I love our city and I love that we have such a historic institution to help shape and guide the future leaders of our country. During this process over the last months or so, I have heard and appreciate every possible rationale for this decision. I have not heard anything that could come close to a good reason to remove a war memorial in the centre or campus - in a building that should still be renovated - but with this centrepiece as the spiritual heart of the school. We don't move war memorials. At worst we should build around them and make them part of our daily fabric and responsibility to never forget. The University here is missing the greater opportunity. As a "kahki university since 1917, where it stood to prepare the young veterans of WWI for a future built on their service. It is also commit to our modern day military in developing dual-use technology for the future of our defense. Not to be lost on us, YEG will soon be made official new home of Canada's 1st Division. This restructuring transforms CFB Edmonton into the focal point for Canada's frontline armored vehicles, mobile artillery, and advanced high-readiness brigades. Serving as the military’s primary heavy combat forve and will be a huge development hub for the additional $100B the GOC is investing in urgent new military investments. In 1945, Italian physician, artist and anti-authoritarian activist Carlo Levi wrote what it meant for an institution to erase what it was entrusted to protect. "The future has an ancient heart." Something to consider as we move into our uncertain future.