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Canada Joins The World Commemorating D-Day Anniversary

Saint John, NB, Canada / 97.3 The Wave
Scott Pettigrew
May 15, 2019 | 4:00 PM


Canada Joins The World Commemorating D-Day Anniversary

This year marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the first day of the battle of Normandy. (Submitted/Veterans Affairs Canada)

This year marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the first day of the battle of Normandy.

On June 6 1944, Allied troops stormed the beaches of France and of the 45,000 Canadians who lost their lives during the War, 5,500 were killed during the Battle of Normandy and 359 on D-Day.

Robert Loken, national manager for honours awards and commemoration with Veterans Affairs Canada, says they have commemorations scheduled for overseas at Juno Beach and here in Canada including an initiative called Boots of Remembrance.

“Using the military boots as the symbol of our soldiers who would have taken the train across the country to Halifax before then moving on to convoys bringing them over to Europe.”

Boots of Remembrance was launched in March and is a partnership of Veterans Affairs Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces, Parks Canada and Via Rail.

Loken says there aren’t many veterans still alive.

“And we won’t have them for much longer, so it’s important to remember that today’s freedoms and peace that we have is because of what they did for us in Europe.”