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OTTAWA — The Trudeau government is considering whether to shelve plans for a national Afghanistan war memorial, as it rolls back the previous Conservative government’s attempts to imbue Canada’s national identity with a healthy dose of militarism.

Then-veterans affairs minister Julian Fantino announced the National Memorial to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan in May 2014. The project, pegged at about $5 million, was intended to honour the 40,000 Canadians who had served in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014, including 158 who died.

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Fantino’s successor, Erin O’Toole, re-announced the project — along with a separate memorial for Canadians who had won the Victoria Cross, the British Commonwealth’s highest military honour — last year. A site for the two memorials was chosen halfway between the Parliament Buildings and the Canadian War Museum.

The memorials were part of a concerted effort by the Conservatives over the previous decade to highlight Canada’s military heritage, traditions and prowess. The Tories spent millions of dollars commemorating various battles and campaigns, and touting Canada’s proud military history.