A Living Tribute
A generation ago, Canadians worried that the memory of those who gave their lives for our freedom would be forgotten as people who experienced World War II were dying.
Then along came the Afghanistan War, and Corporal Nick Kerr volunteered to serve in active duty. He saw a lot of things he’d like to forget. And he attended the funerals of eight of his fellow service friends. Eight. One of them was his best friend, James Arnal.
In September 2016, Corporal Nick Kerr drove himself from CFB Petawawa to Whitby to plant trees in memory of his fallen comrades. That is about a six-hour drive. Alongside project co-founder, Mark Cullen, he spent the day digging, planting and mulching. The next day, a Sunday, he showed up at another Highway of Heroes tree planting event in Ajax, about 15 minutes west of Whitby. Dig and plant. All day. And then he drove himself home. Another 6 hours.
We owe a great debt to military personnel like Corporal Kerr and their fallen comrades. In the words of Corporal Kerr, “I do this to help deal with my sense of loss.”
When a member of Canada’s Armed Forces falls in combat, his or her final journey is along the Highway of Heroes from CFB Trenton to the Coroner’s Office in Toronto.
We are planting 2 million trees for all Canadians that have served during times of conflict since Confederation and including the war of 1812. 117,000 of the most prominent trees will be planted along and near the stretch of the 401 known as the Highway of Heroes, one tree for every life lost while serving in the Canadian Armed Forces.
As Canadians, we’re proud of our values that guide us to respect green spaces and wilderness, yet too few of us realize we have the highest carbon footprint per capita in the world.
We can do better.
