NICOSIA, Cyprus — Canadian UN peacekeeper Michelle Angela Hamelin experienced a profound encounter with the intense emotions of the people during her service in Cyprus. Her eight-month tour in 1986 coincided with a pivotal moment: the first visit by a Turkish head of government to the island’s breakaway Turkish Cypriot north, which ignited furious protests among Greek Cypriots. “That anger and the people really stuck in my mind,” Hamelin shared, reflecting on her experience.
Hamelin joined approximately 100 other Canadian veterans to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the United Nations peacekeeping force (UNFICYP) in Cyprus, marking Canada’s longest running peacekeeping mission. “This was the first time I encountered people who were genuinely distressed about their circumstances,” she noted. The situation was particularly tense at the time, having been over a decade since a Turkish invasion—sparked by a coup seeking union with Greece—had divided the island along ethnic lines.
UNFICYP was established in 1964, a decade before the invasion, to mitigate hostilities between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots and avert a civil war. Canadians were among the first contributors to this force, with over 28,000 serving in total. While Canada withdrew the majority of its peacekeepers in 1993, a small Canadian presence remains, with the sacrifice of 28 individuals who lost their lives during their service.
Throughout most of 1986, Hamelin’s responsibility was to patrol the U.N.-controlled buffer zone that divided the Greek and Turkish troops in the heart of the capital, Nicosia. She stayed in the Ledra Palace hotel, which had been repurposed as a barracks but bore the scars of conflict, with bullet holes etched into its sandstone walls. “The proximity of the Turkish side was daunting, and the bullet holes above my bed reminded me of the potential for renewed violence,” she described.
Fortunately, tensions remained manageable. Hamelin mentioned that her fellow Canadian peacekeepers consistently employed their diplomatic skills to quell potential conflicts among anxious soldiers. Ronald Reginald Griffis, a veteran who served in UNFICYP since its inception in 1964, highlighted this hallmark of Canadian peacekeeping. He recalled utilizing Canada’s calm demeanor to mediate disputes along the divide known as the Green Line, which separated the two communities in old Nicosia. “Canadians listened attentively; we sought to foster understanding,” Griffis, a Nova Scotia native now residing in Cottam, Ontario, explained. “There was a palpable appreciation and trust in our presence.”
Canadian representation was bolstered by over 100 active-duty forces sent to Cyprus to potentially assist with evacuations from Lebanon. They participated alongside Hamelin, Griffis, and other veterans in a Remembrance Day ceremony at the Canadian UN Peacekeeper Memorial, located within the buffer zone near Ledra Palace. Anna-Karine Asselin, Canada’s High Commissioner to Cyprus, remarked on the large turnout, revealing the “significant importance of the mission” for veterans. “We honor their vital contributions to peace and acknowledge the challenges they faced,” she stated.
A couple of days prior to the ceremony, Hamelin and Griffis took part in a tour of the buffer zone, which triggered many memories. They noted the transformations Cyprus has undergone over the years—from the presence of donkey carts on the streets in 1964 to its current status as a modern member of the European Union six decades later. However, Hamelin felt that despite the visible progress, fundamental issues remained unchanged. “While Nicosia is now more developed, the division persists and is undeniably prominent,” she remarked.