OTTAWA, Nov. 5, 2014 /CNW/ - Canada Company today announced that it would be the program manager for a National Monument Program which will provide LAV III (Light Armoured Vehicles) that were used by the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan to qualifying communities throughout Canada.
"Canada Company is pleased to lead this civilian led program to recognize this generation of Canadian Veterans by providing the vehicles that they used in Afghanistan over the past decade as a memorial to their service." said Blake Goldring, founder of Canada Company and the Honorary Colonel of the Canadian Army.
The program will be managed by Canada Company and communities that wish to receive a LAV III Monument can find out more information about the program and apply at www.lavmonument.ca.
Mr. Goldring further observed: "Many of the monuments in Canada are more than 70 years old and are not relevant to this generation. The LAV III Monument program gives communities throughout Canada an opportunity to recognize the sacrifices of members of the Canadian Armed Forces in a very powerful and enduring way."
The selection of qualifying communities will be made by a LAV III Monument Selection Committee composed of eminent Canadians, the majority of which are Afghanistan veterans. The LAV III Monument Selection Committee will be chaired by Maj Gen (ret'd) David Fraser, a former Canadian Commander of Afghanistan South in 2006. Fraser noted: "As a veteran of Afghanistan, my fellow members of the Canadian Forces are moved by the recognition by communities throughout Canada of my generation's contribution to preserving the security of Canadian society. The LAV III is a powerful and enduring symbol of our Afghanistan mission for all veterans."
The Government of Canada and General Dynamics Land Systems Canada have partnered together to provide the first LAV III Monument prototype to be delivered at no charge to the community selected by the LAV III Monument Selection Committee. Application deadline for the first LAV III Monument is January 31, 2015 and all applications will be accepted online only at www.lavmonument.ca. All other LAV III Monuments (including assembly, transportation, and installation) will be funded by the communities and sponsors working with Canada Company and applications that qualify will be dealt with on a first come first serve basis. For more information about sponsoring the LAV III Monument program please go to www.lavmonument.ca and find out how you can participate in the program.
The LAV III Monuments will be assembled by volunteers and college students in various programs related to manufacturing and automotive programs at Canadian colleges. The volunteers and students may include Afghanistan veterans as part of the Government of Canada's Helmets to Hardhats program. The initial LAV III Monuments will be assembled by Militex and students from Fanshawe College (a college that will participate in the program). Peter Devlin, the President of Fanshawe College and the former Commander of the Canadian Army (Lt-Gen. (ret'd)), commented, "As a retired member of the Canadian Armed Forces and President of Fanshawe College I am pleased that our students and our veterans will have an opportunity to participate in this program to recognize the service of our fellow Canadians in Afghanistan. Fanshawe is proud to be the first college to work on the LAV III Monuments that were originally built and assembled right here in London."
If you would like further information about participating in the construction of the LAV III Monument program or sponsoring or assisting communities, please go to www.canadacompany.ca/lav for information to join the program.
Subject to Government of Canada approval, it is anticipated that as many as 250 LAV III Monuments may be made available to communities across Canada over the next 3 years. However, there is no guarantee that a community will be selected and receive a LAV III Monument unless expressly advised by Canada Company in a written notification.
SOURCE: Canada Company
Community Application Inquiries: email: [email protected], web: www.lavmonument.ca; Media Inquiries: Donna Mills, Canada Company, Toronto-Dominion Centre, TD Bank Tower, 66 Wellington Street West, PO Box 314 Suite 3100, Toronto, ON | M5K 1K2, T: 416.455.9034 | E: [email protected] | W: www.canadacompany.ca; Sponsorship and Community Inquiries: Angela Mondou, President, Canada Company, T: 647-468-2045 | E: [email protected] | W: www.canadacompany.ca
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