October 22 Peacetime Military Memorial Day

Summary#

This bill creates an annual national day to honour Canadian Armed Forces members who lost their lives in Canada during peacetime. It sets October 22 as “Peacetime Service and Sacrifice Memorial Day” and requires the national flag on the Peace Tower to fly at half-mast on that day (Designation; National flag at half-mast). The Act’s purpose is to encourage remembrance; it does not create a holiday or new programs (Purpose of Act).

• Establishes October 22 each year as Peacetime Service and Sacrifice Memorial Day (Designation).
• Requires the national flag on the Peace Tower to be lowered to half-mast on that day (National flag at half-mast).
• Does not create a statutory holiday, paid leave, or business closures (no such provisions in the bill).
• Imposes no requirements on provinces, municipalities, schools, or private entities (bill is silent).
• Cites over 2,400 peacetime deaths since 1914 and 124 suicides from 2013-2019 to explain the need (Preamble).

What it means for you#

• Households
  • An annual day of remembrance on October 22. No day off work or school is created (Designation; no holiday provision).
• Workers
  • No changes to pay, scheduling, or leave. This is not a statutory holiday (bill is silent on labour standards).
• Businesses
  • No required closures or special rules (no mandates in the bill).
• Veterans, CAF members, and families
  • Formal national recognition of peacetime deaths. No new benefits or services are created (Purpose of Act; bill contains no programs).
• Federal government
  • Must lower the national flag on the Peace Tower to half-mast on October 22 each year (National flag at half-mast).
• Provinces, territories, municipalities, schools, and other organizations
  • No legal requirement to take any action. Any observance would be voluntary (bill is silent).

Expenses#

Estimated net cost: Data unavailable.

• No fiscal note identified.
• No appropriations, new programs, transfers, or fees are created by the bill.
• Mandated action: half-masting the national flag on the Peace Tower on October 22 (National flag at half-mast).
• Any administrative costs to carry out flag half-masting are not specified. Data unavailable.

Proponents' View#

• It formally honours CAF members who died in Canada during peacetime, distinct from wartime remembrance (Purpose of Act).
• It creates a clear, recurring national moment on October 22, tied to the 2014 Ottawa attack that killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, and acknowledges the killing of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent on October 20, 2014 (Preamble; Designation).
• It raises awareness of peacetime risks faced by CAF members, referencing over 2,400 non-combat deaths since 1914 and 124 suicides from 2013-2019 (Preamble).
• It is simple to implement because the only mandate is to half-mast the Peace Tower flag (National flag at half-mast). Assumes minimal administrative burden.

Opponents' View#

• It may duplicate or dilute attention from Remembrance Day on November 11 without adding new support for families or prevention efforts (no programs or funding in the bill).
• It is symbolic only; it does not address mental health, safety, or support services for CAF members and families (Purpose of Act; absence of appropriations).
• Its scope is limited: only the Peace Tower flag is mandated to half-mast, which may lead to uneven observance across the country (National flag at half-mast).
• There is no reporting, education requirement, or public engagement plan in the bill, making its real-world impact hard to measure (bill is silent).