Our vision
Canadians understand and appreciate the contributions and sacrifices made by those in uniform. All Veterans and their families feel recognized.
Our mission
To lead, support and create opportunities for Canadians to honour the service, sacrifice and achievements of all Veterans who served Canada. Preserve the memory of those who died in the pursuit of peace and freedom in the world. Achieve this through commemoration and recognition initiatives, learning and memorials.
Recognition supports Veterans' well-being
Veterans’ well-being improves when they feel recognizedFootnote 16 and VAC plays an important role in promoting this recognition. Canadians learn about our military history and the role Canadians in uniform have played during the conflicts of the 20th century to today. Canadians commemorate Canada’s contributions and sacrifices and recognize our Veterans in a variety of ways. Canadians, who know how Veterans have contributed to the defence of Canada and to promote peace, security and stability the world, create supportive communities that value Veterans, hire them and support their life after service.
Our regional approach to commemoration
More than 1.7 million Canadians volunteered to defend peace and freedom around the world during the First World War, Second World War and Korean War. Since then, several hundred thousand Canadian military personnel have served our country as part of international peace and security efforts, to help promote peace and stability and to respond to humanitarian emergencies in many regions around the world.
Service in many geographical regions around the world points to the need for a new approach to understanding the experiences, sacrifices and contributions of all Veterans to promote values that Canada considers important for building and sustaining peace. We will highlight the contributions of Canadian military members, police officers and other skilled personnel to international peace, security, post-conflict recovery and humanitarian efforts through a “CAF Around the World” approach. Specifically, we will draw attention to our efforts in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean. Through the stories of those who served, our new approach will help Canadians understand our military’s contribution in different regions of the globe, including here at home, and why our military history is relevant today. Annex A sets out our multi-year themes and notable military milestones.
Guiding principles
VAC is a leader in military commemoration, both at home and on the world stage. Three principles will guide our commemorative efforts:
- Honour the service, sacrifice and achievements of all those who served. We will create opportunities to bring together Veterans of multiple generations, their families and the families of those who died. In this way, Canadians will recognize the connections across the eras of Canada’s military history and the shared legacy of all who have put on a military uniform for our country. We will also recognize the work of former members of the RCMP and municipal police, as well as Canadian diplomats and civilians who served on a variety of peace support operations around the world. By helping Veterans share their stories, we will create opportunities for many voices, including younger Veterans, and women, Indigenous, racialized and 2SLGBTQI+ Veterans. Through Veterans’ stories, we will highlight the diversity of roles within our military and the valuable contributions of all those who have served, including in the defence of North America, and in domestic operations such as wildfires, ice storms and floods.
- Bring remembrance to all Canadians. We will lead and expand our support activities and events in communities across our country. We will strengthen how all Canadians, including Indigenous peoples and new citizens, connect with our country’s proud military heritage.
- Engage youth in active remembrance. We will build on our successful youth learning activities, ceremonies and guide programs. We will encourage youth to have an even stronger voice, inviting them to play a greater, more active role in leading commemorative initiatives and engaging Canadians in social discussions. We will look to youth for new ideas and fresh perspectives to keep commemoration a vibrant part of our society so that we, as Canadians, never forget.
