Since Confederation, more than 2.3 million Canadians have served to defend peace and freedom at home and around the world. Explore Canada's military history and Veterans' stories in the regions below. Each year, we will feature key military dates, achievements and sacrifices in one geographic region.
Americas (2025)
Middle East (2026)
Europe (2027)
Asia (2028)
Africa (2029)
Canada remembers CAF service around the world
Learn more about our new approach to remembrance by viewing this video:
Transcript: Canada remembers CAF around the world
During the first half of the 20th century, more than 1.7 million Canadians served to defend peace and freedom around the world.
For decades, Veterans Affairs Canada has marked key milestones of the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War, with ceremonies and events at home and abroad.
We will continue to tell the stories of the millions of brave Canadians from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds who served during these conflicts.
Hundreds of thousands of Canadians have served since the end of the Korean War. However, their stories remain relatively untold.
Whether in peace support, combat or humanitarian roles…in Canada or around the world…these Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces have served and sacrificed, with courage and honour.
They deserve our recognition and thanks.
To share the story of those who served in Canada's military efforts around the world, since the end of the Korean War in the 1950, we will expand beyond traditional anniversaries and begin to mark the more recent military, peacekeeping, and humanitarian missions.
We will help Canadians learn about these missions, and the important contributions our service members have made to peace and safety—at home and abroad. They continue a long tradition of courage, service and sacrifice.
We will highlight the diversity of Canada's military experience.
We want those who served this country to see themselves in the stories we share…and to recognize they are Canada's Veterans.
We propose to focus on a different theme or region each year. And we will show the common threads between those in uniform–no matter where or when they served.
With "Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces missions around the world" as our guide, Veterans Affairs Canada will base our efforts in three areas:
Engagement
We will ask former and current CAF members how their service, sacrifice and achievements should be recognized. We will seek stakeholder and community input on ways to inspire Canadians to recognize and appreciate those who served. And we will work with partners to incorporate this feedback into our plans and programs.
Resources
We will continue to care for our commemorative spaces and resources, in Canada and around the world.
Creativity
We will pioneer innovative and exciting new experiences for Canadians in everything we do. This will transform how we work and engage Canadians in communities across the country, to how we care for our memorials and other resources.
Together, we will tell the story of those who served Canada for our freedom—today, tomorrow and always.