Peter Goldring pays tribute to veteran journalist
OTTAWA – Peter Goldring, Member of Parliament for Edmonton East, says Sun Media columnist Earl McRae, who died October 15, was “a great Canadian and journalist.”
In a tribute to Mr. McCrae in the House of Commons today, Mr. Goldring said he first came to know Earl McRae when they worked together on the 1998 “Christmas in Ortona” campaign.
“Earl immediately saw the vision of former foes, Canadian and German, joining together for a re-creation of the 1943 Canadian battlefield Christmas dinner to reflect and to celebrate in the season of good will to mankind, the years of peace that followed.”
He said Mr. McRae’s newspaper columns, as well as support from broadcaster Lowell Green, brought in the funds to allow the war veterans to return to Italy and share the meal with their former foes.
Mr. Goldring, who was Opposition Veterans Affairs Critic at the time, has fond memories of working with Mr. McRae, describing him as “a friend of veterans.”
The full text of Mr. Goldring’s statement in the House of Commons follows:
Earl McRae, Journalist
Mr. Speaker,
We have lost a great Canadian writer and journalist, Earl McRae, a man I came first to know personally when I took on the task of raising funds to allow war veterans of the Loyal Eddies, Seaforths, Three Rivers, Provost Corps and Royal 22nd Van Doos, to return to Ortona, Italy for Christmas 1998.
Earl immediately saw the vision of former foes, Canadian and German, joining together for a re-creation of the 1943 Canadian battlefield Christmas dinner to reflect and to celebrate in the season of good will to mankind, the years of peace that followed.
His prodigious newspaper columns, along with Lowell Green’s prolific airwaves plea for help made “Christmas in Ortona” happen.
Then Earl travelled with the veterans to Ortona to report on their pilgrimage.
Earl McRae, a friend of veterans, an extraordinary journalist, a champion of what is right.
May his deserving soul now rest in peace.