Liberals urged to commemorate MP war vet traumatized after Passchendaele
OTTAWA — Hidden away somewhere on Parliament Hill is the bronzed relief of Lt.-Col. Samuel Sharpe.
Finished two years ago, the sculpture appeared destined for a spot in the foyer outside the House of Commons to commemorate the former MP and recognize all Canadian veterans struggling with psychological injuries.
Yet despite mounting calls for the Trudeau government to have it unveiled, the sculpture remains in storage, raising fears that Sharpe and other veterans suffering with mental trauma won’t get the recognition they deserve.
“He was hospitalized and then sadly he died by suicide,” said Conservative MP Erin O’Toole, who occupies Sharpe’s old seat and, as veterans affairs minister in 2015, first started the push to recognize the former MP.