Minister of State Pierre Poilievre Congratulates City of Ottawa on Renaming of Park in Veteran's Honour

OTTAWA, July 19, 2013 /CNW/ - On behalf of the Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of Veterans Affairs, Pierre Poilievre, Minister of State for Democratic Reform, today attended a ceremony honouring a local Canadian Veteran of the Korean War, Mr. Gus Este, by renaming Ottawa's Brookside Park to Gus Este Park.

"I commend the City of Ottawa for naming a popular city park in honour of Korean War Veteran Gus Este during this, the Year of the Korean War Veteran," said Minister Fantino. "Canadian Veterans who participated in the Korean War gave so much of themselves to the efforts to regain peace and freedom in Korea."

Mr. Gus Este was born in Montréal in 1931. In 1950, Mr. Este joined the Canadian Army Special Force. In Seattle, Washington, he received advanced training in the medical field and served as a medical assistant during the Korean War. He was discharged from the service and worked at Canada Post for three years. Mr. Este later re-joined the military with the Canadian Postal Corps, where he served as a captain and participated in tours in Egypt and Germany. In 1987, he retired with recognition for 33 years of military service.

"Canadians are grateful to those who served in the Korean War and want to ensure their sacrifices are recognized," said Minister Poilievre. "More than 26,000 Canadians served in what has been called, for too long, the forgotten war. For Canada, the cost of this service was high with 516 Canadians making the ultimate sacrifice."

2013 is the Year of the Korean War Veteran—Canada proudly remembers the heroes of the Korean War and their brave fight to uphold freedom, democracy and the rule of law. For more information on the Korean War, visit veterans.gc.ca.

SOURCE: Veterans Affairs Canada

Media inquiries:
Janice Summerby
Media Relations Advisor
Veterans Affairs Canada
613-992-7468

Niklaus Schwenker
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
613-996-4649