CFB VALCARTIER – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today attended a fundraising event for military families at CFB Valcartier, home base of the Royal 22nd Regiment that now leads the Canadian mission in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The fourth annual Criée d'automne includes a dinner, silent auction and raffle that raises funds for the Valcartier Military Family Resources Center.
 
Speaking at the dinner, Prime Minister Harper called the families of soldiers serving in Afghanistan “the unsung heroes of Canada’s mission. The strength of the support back home is one of the main reasons our troops are world-renowned for their skill, courage and professionalism.”

The Prime Minister, who was joined at the event by the Honourable Josee Verner, Minister of International Cooperation, donated an autographed hockey stick and puck for the auction.

 “Quebeckers can be very proud of the women and men of the Royal 22nd who are writing another glorious page in the history of their regiment,” Prime Minister Harper said. “I’ve talked to soldiers deployed overseas and I can tell you they all feel better over there, knowing their families are being taken care of back here by organizations like Military Family Resources Center. The Canadian Forces really are a family, and a family takes care of its own.”