November 26, 2009 14:46 ET

Media Advisory: Government of Canada Send-Off Event for Delegation Going to Italy to Mark the 65th Anniversary of the Italian Campaign

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Nov. 26, 2009) - The Honourable Greg Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs, will participate in an official send-off event for a delegation of Veterans, parliamentarians and youth going to Italy to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Italian Campaign.

Location:    Warrior's Hall, K-wing, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
             2075 Bayview Avenue
             Toronto, Ontario


Date:        November 27, 2009


Time:        10:00 a.m.

A Grade 10 class from Leaside High School will participate in the send-off event which will include a question and answer session with Veterans of the Italian Campaign. Also in attendance will be Veterans who are residents of Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

The Italian Campaign was one of the longest and fiercest struggles of the Second World War.

Of the more than 93,000 Canadians who served in Sicily and mainland Italy between 1943 and 1945, nearly 6,000 laid down their lives and another 20,000 were wounded or taken prisoners of war.