SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Twenty-fifth Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks

Honourable senators, I rise today to mark a solemn anniversary that passed on September 11. It occurred while this chamber was not yet in session, but it is one I feel duty bound to bring to the floor today.

A few weeks ago, we marked 25 years since September 11, 2001. A quarter-century later, there is now an entire generation of young Canadians who have grown up in the shadow of that day. They have only ever known the world it created.

But what we must ensure is never forgotten is what 9/11 was and what it sought — but failed — to destroy. It was the single worst and deadliest terrorist attack in human history. It was meticulously planned over several years and carried out by cowards on our American neighbours, motivated by a despicable hatred for everything we in the Western world embody: our freedom, our democracy and our way of life.

We lost 24 of our own Canadians that morning, among the nearly 3,000 innocent lives stolen. I will never forget the images of desperate souls forced to jump from the upper floors of the Twin Towers and the unthinkable courage of the first responders who ran up those stairwells.

That attack sought to break the spirit of a free nation. It sought to instill a permanent fear, to make us turn inward and to force open societies to retreat. And that is precisely where it failed, because in the face of absolute darkness, the world saw the unshakable character of free people.

Here in Canada, our response was swift, quiet and profound. When American airspace closed, Canadians in Gander didn’t hesitate to open their homes, their halls and their hearts to nearly 7,000 scared, stranded strangers.

And when the call came to defend our shared democratic values, 158 of our brave service members gave their lives in Afghanistan, standing shoulder to shoulder with our allies.

Honourable colleagues, the hatred that fuelled 9/11 has not vanished from the earth. It has simply changed form.

Today, the fundamental values of the Western world — rule of law, individual liberty, pluralism and free expression — face renewed threats from tyranny, extremism and authoritarianism around the globe. Preserving them requires our continued and uncompromising resolve.

Let us never forget the lives stolen on September 11. Let us reaffirm — to our allies and to enemies alike — that Canada’s defence of our shared values remains as resolute and unshakable as ever before.