Chamber
commons
Stage
1st Reading
Introduced
Oct 22, 2025
Progress
This bill designates October 22 each year as Peacetime Service and Sacrifice Memorial Day to honour Canadian Armed Forces members who died in peacetime.
Key Changes
- Designates October 22 as 'Peacetime Service and Sacrifice Memorial Day' across Canada
- Requires the national flag on the Peace Tower to be lowered to half-mast on October 22 each year
- Creates a formal national recognition for Armed Forces members who died in peacetime on Canadian soil
- Distinguishes peacetime service deaths from wartime deaths already commemorated on Remembrance Day
Gotchas
- The bill is a symbolic designation and does not create a statutory holiday, meaning it does not give workers a day off
- The preamble explicitly includes deaths by suicide among those being honoured, which broadens the scope beyond accidental or attack-related deaths
- The bill does not specify any government funding, programming, or organized ceremonies beyond the half-mast flag requirement
- October 22 was chosen to mark the anniversary of Corporal Cirillo's death, though Warrant Officer Vincent was killed on October 20 — his death is acknowledged in the preamble but not reflected in the chosen date
Who's Affected
- Canadian Armed Forces members and their families
- Veterans and veteran communities
- Parliament Hill and federal institutions responsible for flag protocols
- All Canadians, who are encouraged to observe the day
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- The bill is a symbolic designation and does not create a statutory holiday, meaning it does not give workers a day off
- The preamble explicitly includes deaths by suicide among those being honoured, which broadens the scope beyond accidental or attack-related deaths
- The bill does not specify any government funding, programming, or organized ceremonies beyond the half-mast flag requirement
- October 22 was chosen to mark the anniversary of Corporal Cirillo's death, though Warrant Officer Vincent was killed on October 20 — his death is acknowledged in the preamble but not reflected in the chosen date
Summary
Bill C-252 creates a new national day of remembrance called 'Peacetime Service and Sacrifice Memorial Day,' observed every October 22. The date was chosen to mark the anniversary of the 2014 killing of Corporal Nathan Cirillo, who was shot while standing guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. The bill also references the killing of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent two days earlier, on October 20, 2014. The bill recognizes that approximately 2,000 Canadian Armed Forces members have lost their lives in non-combat roles on Canadian soil since 1914, including those who died by suicide. While Remembrance Day on November 11 honours those who served in wars and conflicts, this new day is specifically meant to remember those who died during peacetime service in Canada. On this day, the national flag of Canada on the Peace Tower in Ottawa would be lowered to half-mast. The bill was introduced as a Private Member's Bill by Mr. Johns in the first session of the 45th Parliament on October 22, 2025.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses