Why do they call it the Highway of Heroes?
They reflected on the meaning of the sacrifice, and waved Canadian flags in a final patriotic salute to Canada’s heroes. Soon after the first Canadian soldiers were taken along the route in 2002, it became unofficially known as the Highway of Heroes, which the Government of Ontario made official in 2007.
Why is the Highway of Heroes important?
Part of the 401 Highway connecting CFB Trenton and the Don Valley Parkway in Toronto is now called the “Highway of Heroes” in honor of the Canadian Forces who gave their lives to Canada’s military missions. This is also the stretch of road the remains of the fallen take in funeral convoys on the way to Toronto.
Where does Highway of Heroes start and end?
Planting is expected to begin in spring 2016 and take approximately five years to complete. To launch the project, a ceremonial tree will be planted at each end of the Highway of Heroes: at CFB Trenton, where the highway begins, and outside the Coroner’s Office at Keele Street in Toronto, where it ends.
How many Canadian soldiers were killed and wounded in Afghanistan?
158 Canadian soldiers
The war took the lives of 158 Canadian soldiers and wounded or injured more than 2,000 others. Seven Canadian civilians were also killed — a diplomat, four aid workers, a government contractor and a journalist.
Why is the 401 the Highway of Heroes?
This stretch of Highway 401 in eastern Ontario is where Canadians who have died overseas often travel after being returned to our country. The fallen soldiers arrive at the airbase in Trenton and are then respectfully driven to Toronto before being sent on to their final resting places.
Why did Canada send troops to Afghanistan?
Canada’s involvement included efforts to provide security to Afghanistan’s new government after the Taliban were ousted and aid reconstruction in a country torn apart by a generation of war. Later, Canadians contributed to the war against a growing Taliban insurgency.
What story is being told in the song Highway of Heroes?
The Trews’ “Highway of Heroes” celebrates that stretch of road between CFB Trenton and a coroner’s office in downtown Toronto, where hundreds gather on bridges and overpasses to mourn soldiers killed in Afghanistan. The song hits TV and radio tomorrow, and will be available for purchase on iTunes May 18.
What is the biggest highway in the world?
Pan American Highway
Pan American Highway, the longest highway in the world, covers a length of approximately 48,000km. Highway 1, the second longest highway in the world, is comprised of both single and multilane roads.
When was the last time Canada was in a war?
Since the Second World War, however, Canada has been committed to multilateralism and has gone to war only within large multinational coalitions such as in the Korean War, the Gulf War, the Kosovo War, and the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan.