Message from the Colonel Commandant on Remembrance Day

Lest We Forget – Standing in Their Footsteps 

Each year, as November’s chill settles across our land, Canadians pause to remember. For us in The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, this moment carries a special weight. We recall not only the battles our Gunners have fought, but the ideals they defended—service, sacrifice, and steadfastness.

From the muddy gun lines of Passchendaele to the frozen forests of Korea; from the desert valleys of Afghanistan to the forward positions of Latvia today—Canadian Gunners have served with quiet professionalism and unyielding courage. More than 4,600 of our own made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of Canada. Their names are etched not only in stone, but in the living history of our Regiment.

Remembrance is not passive—it is an act of renewal. It reminds us that the freedoms we cherish were earned at a cost, and that each generation bears the duty to defend them. As the world again faces instability and aggression, we honour our fallen best by upholding their example: steadfast under fire, loyal to comrades, and faithful to Canada.

To our gunners, past and present:

Be Present: Attend your local ceremony. Stand with your community and your comrades. Let them see the face of a Gunner who remembers.

Wear the Badge with Pride: The gun badge with its crown and “Ubique” motto is a symbol of duty carried across continents and centuries. It is shared with Commonwealth gunners with whom we have served and sacrificed.

Reflect and Inspire: Share the stories of those who served before us—so that remembrance is not confined to a single day, but lives in the hearts of those who follow.

As your Colonel Commandant, I am deeply proud of how The Royal Regiment continues to honour its past while serving with excellence today. May we stand together in gratitude and remembrance, ever mindful of those who gave their tomorrows for our today.

Lest we forget. Ubique!

BGen (ret) D.A. Patterson, MSM, CD
Colonel Commandant