Join our veterans on the 65th Anniversary of D-Day & the Battle of Normandy. Saturday, June 6, 2009 Starting at 10:00 a.m. Front Lawn, Legislative Building Queen's Park, Toronto

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D-Day - Morning of Destiny

The sun was just coming up at 5:00 AM on June 6, 1944, revealing the shadowy outline of 7,000 ships crossing the English Channel toward France.

Canada’s contribution to the armada was 109 vessels and 10,000 sailors who, over the next few hours, would deliver troops from the 3rd Canadian Infantry to Juno Beach.

Lancaster bombers, P51-A reconnaissance planes and Spitfire fighters from the Royal Canadian Air Force supported the invasion. Overnight, Canadian paratroopers had already landed behind enemy lines.

On D-Day, 14,000 Canadian assault troops landed on Juno Beach and stormed ashore in the face of fierce opposition from German strongholds and mined beaches. They were immediately met with machine-gun fire as they raced across the wide-open beaches to attack German gun positions.

In fierce hand-to-hand fighting, they fought their way into the towns of Bernières, Courseulles and St. Aubin and then advanced inland, securing a critical bridgehead for the Allied invasion.

Their courage, determination and self-sacrifice brought success in those critical hours. The fighting was fierce and frightening and it came at a high price - the battles for the beachhead cost 340 Canadian lives with another 574 wounded.

By day’s end, the Canadian forward elements were deeper into France than those of any other division. The opposition the Canadians faced was stronger than that of any other beach, except Omaha.

The average age of these remaining brave veterans is now 85. Please join them on June 6, 2009, at Queens’ Park as the Government of Ontario marks the 65th Anniversary of this historic battle which turned the tide of World War II.