Canadian PM to make televised address for 5th anniversary of Sept 11. attacks

September 8, 2006

Stephen Harper will have a televised address for the 5th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. It will be held in the Hall of Honour in the Parliament Buildings. It will also be in both official languages (English and French). Harper will make the statement of five to eight minutes on national Canadian television.

The PM is expected to address concerns over Canada's role in Afghanistan, where 2,200 Canadian troops are in the midst of battling insurgents.

Carolyn Stewart-Olsen said that Harper wanted to recognize the 24 Canadians who perished in the attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York. Olsen says Harper wants to speak to the "families and victims, and to people who fight terrorism on a daily basis."

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she will travel to Halifax on Monday to mark the anniversary.

The PM will deliver his statement at 6:00 p.m on Monday. There will be no audience for the address in the foyer except journalists. The statement will be available for television and radio broadcast.