Dr. Bryan Brulotte, MStJ GCJ CD, is chairman of Sterling Trust and author of A Road Map for Canada.Every November 11, Canadians gather at cenotaphs, churches, and memorials to honour those who served and sacrificed in defence of our country. We bow our heads, observe two minutes of silence, thank Providence, and remember the generations who answered Canada’s call. But in 2026, against an increasingly dangerous international backdrop, Remembrance Day should also compel us to confront an uncomfortable question: Are we prepared to defend the freedoms for which so many Canadians gave their lives?The world is entering a period of profound geopolitical instability. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has brought large-scale warfare back to Europe. China’s increasingly assertive posture toward Taiwan threatens stability in the Indo-Pacific, while Iran and its regional proxies continue to destabilize the Middle East. Across the globe, authoritarian regimes are challenging the international order that generations of Canadians helped establish and defend.These threats are not confined to distant battlefields. Cyberattacks, foreign interference, economic coercion, and disinformation campaigns increasingly target Western democracies from within. Our adversaries understand that weakening national cohesion can be as effective as confronting armies. They seek to exploit our divisions, undermine our institutions and diminish our capacity to act collectively in defence of our interests.Compounding these challenges is a fundamental shift in American strategic priorities. The United States is reassessing its international commitments, alliances, and economic relationships. While President Donald Trump has accelerated these changes, Canadians would be mistaken to believe they will disappear when his presidency ends. America’s strategic recalibration reflects deeper political and economic forces that will influence its foreign policy for years to come..Canada must therefore accept a difficult reality: our sovereignty, security, and prosperity cannot depend indefinitely on the willingness of others to defend them. We must assume greater responsibility for our own future. That responsibility begins with understanding the sacrifices that secured the freedoms we enjoy today.We stand on the shoulders of giants. At Vimy Ridge, Canadians demonstrated that courage, discipline, and national determination could overcome extraordinary adversity. During the Second World War, our soldiers, sailors, and airmen helped liberate Europe from tyranny. In Korea, Canadians stood against communist aggression, while in Afghanistan, another generation answered the call under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. Many passed from the world and are known only to God.These men and women came from every region of Canada, representing different languages, backgrounds, and beliefs. What united them was something greater than themselves: a sense of duty, service, and commitment to their country. They understood that freedom carries obligations and that defending it sometimes demands the ultimate sacrifice.Having served in the Canadian Army, I have witnessed firsthand the professionalism, courage, and quiet determination of those who wear our uniform. I have also known soldiers who never returned home. Their sacrifice is not an abstraction found in history books. It is personal, enduring and deserving of more than ceremonial recognition..Yet remembrance without responsibility risks becoming an empty ritual. We cannot honour generations who defended Canada while allowing our own military capabilities to deteriorate. Nor can we expect young Canadians to answer tomorrow’s call without providing them the leadership, equipment, training, and institutional support necessary to succeed.Rebuilding our Armed Forces must become a national priority, supported by credible investment, expanded recruitment, stronger reserves, and renewed military readiness. But national strength extends beyond defence expenditures. It requires a productive economy, resilient institutions, secure borders and, above all, a population united by a shared sense of citizenship and purpose.Canada possesses extraordinary advantages: abundant natural resources, talented people, democratic institutions, and a proud history of overcoming adversity. Yet these advantages alone will not guarantee our security or prosperity. What we require is the collective determination to translate them into lasting national strength, supported by leadership willing to make difficult decisions in the national interest.Remembrance Day should remind us that freedom is neither permanent nor guaranteed. It survives because successive generations accept responsibility for protecting it. The Canadians who fought at Vimy, Juno Beach, Kapyong, and Kandahar understood this responsibility, and their example should continue to guide us.They did not sacrifice so that future generations could take their inheritance for granted. They served because they believed Canada was worth defending, and because they understood that some principles are greater than individual interests. Their legacy demands not only our gratitude, but also our resolve.Our obligation is not merely to remember their sacrifice. It is to ensure that the Canada they defended remains strong, united, and worthy of the next generation’s service. That is the true meaning of remembrance, and the responsibility we must carry forward.Lest we forget.Dr. Bryan Brulotte, MStJ GCJ CD, is chairman of Sterling Trust and author of A Road Map for Canada.
