First Canadian woman killed in combat honoured with miniature bridge in 'Little Canada'
Capt. Nichola Goddard was the first Canadian female to die in combat when she was killed in Afghanistan in 2006. Like most fallen soldiers, when she was repatriated, Canadians would line bridges over the Highway of Heroes, saluting the soliders as their remains were driven along Highway 401.
One of those bridges has been dedicated to Goddard’s memory and today at the Little Canada display of miniature Canadian cities in Toronto, the Highway of Heroes and Goddard’s bridge were unveiled.
Jean-Louis Brenninkmeijer, founder of Little Canada, said when he first came to Canada from The Netherlands 20 years ago and stood on a bridge watching the convoy pass, he was struck by how patriotic it was.
“It represents Canada in all its, everything Canada represents, its freedoms its values, its traditions,” Brenninkmeijer told CTV News Toronto.
The tradition wasn't started by government, but by a grassroots movement of people honouring the fallen, he said.
Afghan war veteran Kelly Scanlan remembers standing on the bridges as a civilian and paying tribute to fallen soldiers. Then, seeing it from the other side, watching the remains being sent back to Canada from the war zone.
“I served in Afghanistan and to stand in the other end of that ceremony and see our fallen loaded on to a plane and knowing this is where they were coming, knowing that Canadians were going to be there to honour them and welcome them home and that their families were going to know that they weren’t forgotten. “
At the dedication ceremony today, Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, announced more than a half a million dollars in funding for the True Patriot Love Foundation, dedicated to helping soldiers return to civilian life.
“Whether it is support for group therapy or for women veterans dealing with sexual assault they experienced while abroad, we must support our veterans, and not just today or November 11th, every single day,” Fullerton said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.