I am certain that many that many of you are asking - what's the deal with the tree? If you have found this page, then read on and you will get your answer.

Recently we had the good fortune of enjoying a vacation in France and spent a few days touring the historic beaches of Normandy. For those of you who have had the privilege of visiting this area - you will have a better understanding of what I felt. For those of you who have not yet had the opportunity to visit, let me just say that words cannot fully express the emotion one feels standing in front of the grave of a fallen soldier or staring up at trenches and bunkers that Allied soldiers faced when they arrived on these beaches.

The lone wind-blown tree that stands atop the hill above the "Fox Green" beachhead stands as a stark reminder of the struggle faced by the thousands of men who fought - and gave their lives - to liberate these beaches and restore freedom for the people of France.

These images and these memories are extremely important at a time when around the world entire cultures are struggling to preserve peace. Men and women from Canada and countries around the world have taken up the fight for freedom and have chosen to follow in the footsteps of those who fought for freedom in the shadow of this lone tree on June 6, 1944.

These memories are as important today - possibly more so - than ever before. Whether we agree or disagree with the politics of the day, we must support the men and women who continue to fight for the rights and freedoms of others and remember the sacrifice of of the soldiers that helped preserve the freedom we all enjoy today.

The image of this tree nestled amongst the bunkers and trenches of Omaha Beach serve as my personal reminder of this sacrifice.

To borrow the words of a British school-boy who left a personal note at the grave of a soldier in Bayeux moments before our visit: "Without your sacrifice, I wouldn't be here today. Thank you for the life I have today and forever onwards."

Lest we forget.