Each June 6, the City of Toronto honours the Canadian men and women who took part in D-Day — the Allied forces' invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. Please join members of Toronto City Council in honouring those who took part.
The ceremony is from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, June 6, 2011.
D-Day program - June 6, 2011 (PDF)
| Program: |
Musical prelude
Ceremony |
noon
12:30 p.m. |
Location: |
Nathan Phillips Square
Toronto City Hall
100 Queen Street West |
Musical prelude:
- Leo Leach of the Toronto EMS Honour Guard
- Janet Watt of the WREN Association of Toronto
- Anthems (O Canada and God Save the Queen)
Marchers in the 2010 ceremony will include:
- Canadian Army Veterans Motorcycle Unit
- Toronto Civic Honour Guard
- Toronto Police Ceremonial Unit
- Toronto Firefighters' War Veterans Colour Guard
- Toronto Emergency Medical Services Honour Guard
- Toronto Transit Commission Supervisory Honour Guard
- Navy, Army, Airforce Veterans in Canada
- Naval Club of Toronto / Toronto Sea Cadet Alumni Association
- WREN Association of Toronto
- Toronto Police Pipe Band Toronto Fire Services Pipes & Drums
Related historical information: Dominion Institute
 |
| View looking east along 'Nan White' Beach, showing personnel of the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade landing from LCI(L) 299 of the 2nd Canadian (262nd RN) Flotilla on D-Day 6 June 1944 (Photo courtesy of National Archives) |
In the early hours of June 6, 1944, allied troops departed the southern coast of England in total silence, under the cover of darkness. As dawn broke over the coast of Normandy, France, the immensity of the allied armada was revealed to the German occupying forces. The battle that ensued on that fateful day marked the beginning of the end of the Second World War. Approximately 14,000 Canadian soldiers fought on the beaches of Normandy — their mission, to invade and secure a stretch of the Normandy coastline code-named Juno.
