Canadian World War I flying ace William Barker honoured with new Toronto statue

What we're bringing together are people from Ottawa, from Barrie, from Camp Borden, from other places to convene today and so it really is a celebration of 17 years of journey. Behind me is the train station where Barker, at the age of 24, stepped off track two and was already the most decorated service person in the entire Commonwealth. He was a celebrity. It's also the last place he stepped onto when he went up to Ottawa to fly a commercial aircraft and was killed in Rockcliffe. William Barker's courage and leadership and extraordinary service during the First World War represent the very best of the Royal Canadian Air Force. This statue is more than a monument to one remarkable individual. It is a tribute to all those that have served, sacrificed, and helped shape Canada's proud aviation history. My name is Ian McKenzie, and I am the grandson of this bronze gentleman here. It's gratifying because, you see, he was nationally famous even when I was born, which was a long time ago, as you can see, but he's been slowly fading from memory over the years. We've been kind of bringing him a bit back into public memory, and this is the latest effort. It may, as a monument, it may be actually the most important because it's right on Yonge Street and thousands walk past every day. So when we unveil the statue, it's not just about a war hero. This is dedicated to the service that these incredible people and their families do every day. The one thing that's important is that it rests in an urban centre. People are just going to be going about their life day and day and it's going to remind them when they look here. About veterans, about that sacrifice, and about the people who currently wear the uniforms.