by Blake C. Goldring, C.M., M.S.M., CD, LL.D., DHL, CFA®, AGF Management Ltd.
Each year on November 11th, we pause to honour our men and women in uniform and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.
While Remembrance Day marks the official end of World War One more than a century ago, it’s also an opportunity to reflect upon the sacrifice of all those who have served our country since – either internationally or here at home, including recently during COVID-19.
On this day, we pay tribute to all those who have dutifully served Canada and remember those we’ve lost.
This year, amid the turmoil in Afghanistan and numerous threats to global security, we mark the second Remembrance Day of the pandemic – one that is perhaps more poignant than any other in recent memory.
At AGF, we are honoured to be joined for our annual Remembrance Day service by Major General (Retired) David Fraser, one of the most decorated Canadians to have served in Afghanistan.
Today is a day that carries tremendous significance for many, myself included. I am extremely proud to have carried the title of Honorary Colonel of the Canadian Army, and throughout my life, I have had the great privilege of getting to know many of our servicemen and women on a personal level. Their commitment to our country inspires me and was the driving force behind my decision in 2006 to establish Canada Company.
Canada Company provides support for members of the armed forces and their families, including through the Canada Company Scholarship Fund, which has awarded $770,000 in scholarships to 74 recipients from 39 families since 2008.
The scholarship fund was created as a living memorial to families who have lost a loved one in conflict or as a result of PTSD brought on by their time in service. It stands as a tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.
On Remembrance Day, we are reminded that the valor – and the horrors – of war have inspired some of the most poignant poems ever penned, including In Flanders Fields, The Act of Remembrance and Commitment to Remember. But they’ve also been a transformative force in Canada’s art history.
Today, I’m proud to announce the launch of the Art Canada Institute’s new online book, War Art in Canada: A Critical History, by the renowned scholar, and former curator of art at the War Museum in Ottawa, Laura Brandon.
I was honoured to help fund the development of this online book, which launched today and is available for free by clicking the above link. In addition to helping us remember our fallen, we hope the book will spark thought about the impact of conflict on creativity as well as the role war art plays in shaping Canada’s national imagination and identity.
Lest We Forget.
Blake C. Goldring is Executive Chairman of AGF Management Limited.
About AGF Management Limited
Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm. AGF brings a disciplined approach to delivering excellence in investment management through its fundamental, quantitative, alternative and high-net-worth businesses focused on providing an exceptional client experience. AGF’s suite of investment solutions extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and individual investors to institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds and endowments and foundations.
For further information, please visit AGF.com.
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This post was first published at the AGF Perspectives Blog.
