SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — The Late Lloyd Swick—Animals in War

Honourable senators, I rise today in this chamber to commemorate the fourteenth annual Animals in War Day and to honour a remarkable Canadian and a veteran of both the Second World War and the Korean War: the late Lloyd Allan Swick.

Today marks the fourteenth anniversary of the unveiling of the Animals in War Dedication in Ottawa’s Confederation Park — a lasting national tribute made possible largely through Lloyd’s vision, perseverance and deep love for animals.

I first met Lloyd in Winnipeg at The Last Hurrah, a final national gathering of the Korea Veterans Association. With his bright blue eyes and charismatic twinkle, Lloyd approached me, asked for five minutes of my time and opened his laptop to show me a PowerPoint presentation about his dream project. At the end, he looked at me and asked, “Will you help me with this project?”

As the daughter of two survivors of the Korean War — a war in which brave Canadians like Lloyd served and sacrificed so deeply — how could I say anything but yes?

I was privileged to join the committee that helped Lloyd make his dream a reality. Under his passionate direction, we met several times alongside our talented sculptor David Clendining, whose own German shepherd served as the model for the monument’s life-sized bronze medical dog.

The memorial we built honours the horses, mules, dogs, carrier pigeons and countless other animals that served, suffered and died alongside Canadian and Allied forces from the Second Boer War onward. Visitors to Confederation Park can walk alongside stamped paw and hoof prints in the pavement, pause by the bronze medical dog wearing its WWI-era backpack and read plaques detailing how dogs saved lives, horses and mules hauled heavy supplies across treacherous terrain, and carrier pigeons flew through enemy fire.

Beyond their practical service, these animals offered something just as precious: the comfort of companionship. We are reminded of stray dogs that comforted Canadian soldiers defending the hills of Korea, offering warmth and reassurance to those far from home.

I remember standing proudly at the unveiling ceremony on that crisp morning of November 3, 2012. Today, as we mark this anniversary and look toward Veterans’ Week, I know Lloyd is looking down on us in this chamber with those same twinkling eyes. He is smiling as he watches visitors of all ages — including the many school classes learning from Veterans Affairs Canada’s educational resources — discover the legacy of the faithful companions that helped carry Canada through war.

Thank you, Lloyd, for your service, your vision and your heart. We will remember them.