Mr. Paquette is a retired member of the Canadian Forces. During the Second World War he was a member of the Army Cadet Corps and in 1950 he joined the regular Army where he served from 1950 to 1971 with tours in North-West Europe and Vietnam. Mr. Paquette is commonly known as “Ray” and for Veterans he is their “ray of hope.” Mr. Paquette is an active member of the Royal Canadian Legion, the United Nations Peacekeepers Association and the NATO Veterans Organization. He represents Veterans with honour, professionalism and humility at many parades and ceremonies held in the nation’s capital. Mr. Paquette regularly visits Veterans in hospital and offers assistance by driving them to medical appointments. He considers it his duty to attend services for the fallen at the Beechwood National Military Cemetery. Mr. Paquette promotes Canada’s military history at schools, most recently to launch an innovative pilot project enabling students to use new media to tell the story of our country’s war heroes. For the past twenty years, Mr. Paquette has been a player and the president of a local oldtimers hockey league which promotes fitness, socializing and camaraderie. He was a minor hockey coach during the 1970s. For his accomplishments, Mr. Paquette has been awarded the Canada 125 Medal and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal.