Commentary
Every year on Remembrance Day, Canadians gather to honour the fallen, recalling the iconic battles of Vimy Ridge, Ypres, Ortona, and Kapyong, and the bravery of Spitfire pilots, corvette crews, and infantrymen who clawed through Europe’s darkest hours.
But beyond those famous chapters are lesser-known stories, often forgotten, that reveal the full scope of Canada’s military commitment, from global wars to distant peacekeeping missions and humanitarian crises.
One of those stories begins not in Europe, but in the deserts of Sudan.
In 1884, the British Empire was transfixed by the fate of Khartoum. Gen. Charles Gordon, a decorated officer and public hero, had been sent to evacuate civilians under threat from a massive force of 50,000 jihadist fighters. But Gordon refused to leave. Instead, he fortified the city and prepared for siege….