Remembrance Day in Toronto: Crowds gathered to honour veterans [Video]

Canada must defend itself against an emerging Russia in the High Arctic, says one of Canada’s most decorated veterans, a man who helped defeat Germany in the Second World War.

Richard Rohmer, an honorary lieutenant-general and former major-general in the Canadian Armed Forces, took a breather inside Queen’s Park on Monday after helping lead Remembrance Day ceremonies outside.

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The 100-year-old was a reconnaissance fighter pilot in the war, helped attack the Germans from the sky on D-Day and in 1945 took out a key bridge in Holland, leaving the retreating Germans without an escape route.

Adolf Hitler’s army surrendered soon after that.

Rohmer is now sharing a warning for Canadians about the freedoms they enjoy.

“We’re starting to get great messages now about the need to defend our High Arctic against the Russians who are sitting on the other side of the water,” he said.

“And it’s time we started to defend ourselves, which we don’t.”

Over …