Peacekeepers Monument was unveiled on 9 August 2016 in honour of all Canadian United Nations peacekeepers. Cape Breton has more than 350 former peacekeepers.
The monument's designer, Michele Gardiner, is the wife of a peacekeeping Veteran and a member of Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations Peacekeeping. She wanted something that encapsulated the whole peacekeeping movement. The concept for the monument went through several revisions before members settled on the final design.
Gardiner focused on the blue beret, helmet and ball cap worn by peacekeepers. The three headgear and Canadian flag are on the monument. Along the bottom is a stylized olive branch to signify the United Nations. The monument also includes the names of four Cape Breton peacekeepers who were killed on duty. Leo Steele of John D. Steele’s Sons Limited built the monument.
In late 1973, Canadian Forces took part in the Second United Nations Emergency Force, to supervise the ceasefire between Egyptian and Israeli forces. Included in Canada's commitment to the mission were two Canadian Forces Buffalo aircrafts and crew. The unit was stationed in Ismailia, Egypt, a small city next to the Suez Canal.
The single highest loss of Canadian lives since Canada began to participate in international peace missions involved their presence in Syria. Nine Canadian Armed Forces members with the United Nations peace mission in Egypt were killed on August 9, 1974, when their Buffalo aircraft 115461 was shot down in a Syrian missile attack while making a routine supply run to the mission in the Golan Heights. For this reason, August 9 has been declared National Peacekeepers' Day in Canada.
