MOOSE JAW — A history-focused organization wants to build a monument to honour the nearly 400 Canadians who died 81 years ago on D-Day and is seeking public support for the project.
The Juno Beach Centre Association (JBCA) has announced that Canadians have “a historic opportunity” to shape the future of remembrance in Canada and Normandy, France. The association is pursuing a $12.5-million capital campaign that would create a D-Day monument and enhance investment in the Juno Beach Centre’s “bold new vision.”
The highlight of the monument project is that Canso Investment Counsel Ltd. and Lysander Funds Ltd. are matching dollar for dollar the next $1 million raised.
“In 2022, Canadians, outraged at the condominium development (proposal) on Juno Beach, helped us win an important victory by speaking out against the enormous insult to the memory of our soldiers,” the association said.
“The victory now makes it possible that a monument dedicated to all Canadians who lost their lives on D-Day be established on that former battlefield.”
In early October 2022, Veterans Affairs Canada, the Canadian and French governments and local authorities secured an agreement to protect the Juno Beach Centre from a proposed condo project. This agreement followed a lengthy legal battle that cost the centre $800,000 over multiple years.
Canadians also wrote over 83,000 letters to politicians in Ottawa and France demanding protection for the site. These letters and the resulting media blitz prompted the Government of Canada to act, eliminating the threat to the Juno Beach Centre and the Canadian memorial presence in Normandy.
The future Canadian D-Day monument would be the first of its kind, as it would be a permanent tribute on Juno Beach that features the names of 381 Canadian soldiers and airmen killed on June 6, 1944, during the Allied invasion of Normandy during the Second World War, the association said.
While Canada has commemorated D-Day in many ways, there is no single monument on Juno Beach listing all the names of those men who died there, a void the association wants to fill with this new initiative.
“Three years ago, thousands of Canadians stepped up to help us preserve the Juno Beach Centre and the sanctity of Juno Beach from a condo development,” said Alex Fitzgerald-Black, executive director of the association.
“Now, at a time when Canadian patriotism is at a peak, we call upon Canadians to support the creation of a monument to permanently honour the nearly 400 Canadians who fell in the spearhead that eventually defeated Nazi Germany and restored freedom to millions.”
The association noted that the monument will be the centrepiece of a renewed commitment to stewardship of heritage lands, as the centre evolves into a living memorial that reflects Canada’s past and its duty to future generations, the organization said.
The capital campaign supports three pillars: preserving and stewarding sacred ground, leading in sustainability and visitor experience, and inspiring through education and remembrance.
The JCBA launched its matching funding campaign recently during its “Honour the Past — Protect the Future” event in Toronto. This event featured Marc Milner as the keynote historian and Second World War veterans Maj. Jim Parks and Pvt. William Seifried.
The event also celebrated a $100,000 launch gift from the Arthur J.E. Child Foundation, the first major contribution toward the matched funds campaign.
Chris LaBossiere, the JBCA president, said the $1 million matching donation is “a transformational investment” in the centre’s future, while the campaign has begun to gain momentum with the $100,000 gift.
“These generous commitments remind us that remembrance is a shared responsibility,” he added. “With the match in place, there has never been a more impactful time to support Canada’s museum on the D-Day landing beaches.”
Visit www.junobeach.org for more information.
