MacKay marks Remembrance Day in Kandahar

Defence Minister Peter MacKay marked Remembrance Day on Friday in Kandahar by reading aloud the names of the Canadians who have died in Afghanistan.

Amid the noise of helicopters taking off and landing, MacKay joined more than 100 Canadian soldiers and civilians, and a handful of American and Afghan troops, for a ceremony at the cenotaph in the Canadian compound at Kandahar Airfield.

Friday's ceremony is the first Remembrance Day since Canada ceased combat operations in Afghanistan and transitioned to a training mission.

Special guests at the ceremony included Silver Cross mothers Mabel Girouard and Karen Megeney, other family members of fallen soldiers, Maj.-Gen. Jon Vance, a former commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan, and Senator Pamela Wallin.

Girouard's son. Chief Warrant Officer Robert Michel Joseph Girouard of the 1st Battalion, the Royal Canadian Regiment, was killed in Afghanistan in November 2006. Megeney's son, Cpl. Ronald Kevin Megeney of the 1st Battalion, Nova Scotia Highlanders, died in Afghanistan in March 2007.

Canada's dead in Afghanistan include 158 soldiers, a diplomat, a journalist and two aid workers.

As MacKay read the names of the fallen, small red poppies were placed on the black marble memorial that bear the names and likenesses of the Canadians honoured.

"Today was a very poignant, respectful demonstration on behalf of Canadians for the enormous respect we have for the service and sacrifice of Canadian troops here in Kandahar," MacKay said following Friday's ceremony. "This is the end of an era."

The defence minister said Canada's role in Afghanistan is now in transition, but Canada's sacrfices have contributed to "more schools and education, more health, more security and a chance for a better future in Afghanistan."

MacKay and defence chief Gen. Walt Natynczyk announced Thursday that the Kandahar memorial, which begun in 2006, will start being disassembled Saturday and moved to Canada soon. The memorial will be moved to an undetermined location in Ottawa.

"There is concern over the elements here, concern that [the memorial] could perhaps possibly be neglected or damaged, so we want to bring it back to Canada," MacKay said. "That, I believe, is in keeping with the wishes of the families and the military."

Even though Canadian combat operations have ended, roughly 950 military trainers remain around the capital of Kabul. The training contingent is slated to remain in Afghanistan through 2014.

Other Canadian trainers are based in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif and Herat in the west.