Snowgoose returns to Cyprus for Unficyp anniversary
Canadian veterans who served in Unficyp, known as Operation Snowgoose, returned to the island last week to mark the 60th anniversary of the force.
Over 28,000 Canadians have served in Cyprus since the mission began in 1964 and 28 lost their lives in service on the island.
Events culminated with a ceremony at the Canadian UN peacekeeper memorial in Wolseley Barracks, in the buffer zone.
“This commemoration has been a powerful testament to the enduring bonds of peace, resilience and mutual support that have shaped the unique history of Cyprus and Canada,” high commissioner in Nicosia Anna-Karine Asselin said at the ceremony.
Canada’s Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence Ginette Petitpas Taylor referred to the personal significance of the journey for Canadian veterans and their families.
About 100 Canadian Unficyp veterans and their families travelled to Cyprus as part of the Cyprus 2024 commemoration group and attended a series of events to honour the sacrifices made by Canadian peacekeepers and celebrate the unique history of collaboration between the two nations.
“This journey holds deep personal significance for Canadian veterans who served in Operation Snowgoose and their families,” Taylor said.
She added that the trip to Cyprus “provides them with the opportunity to connect with fellow veterans who served there over the years and share stories of their service with Canadians.”
“On this anniversary, we recognise the high cost of this operation on the Canadian armed forces personnel who have served there over the past 60 years. We pay tribute to their contribution to peace and recognise the challenges they faced along the way,” Taylor said.
Colonel James Holsworth and major-general Walter Holmes, both veterans of the mission, said the commemoration “is not just about a pilgrimage of veterans and their families back to Cyprus, the destination, but also the capturing of history and rekindling of memories, the journey.”
“We are but a group of veterans trying to honour the service and sacrifices of our comrades-in-arms and leave a legacy of Canada’s longest UN peacekeeping mission and a forgotten 1974 war for Canadians,” they added
Though Canada’s last large deployment left Cyprus in 1993, a Canadian peacekeeping presence remains, underscoring the country’s commitment to one of its longest-running international military engagements, a press release said.