The City of Toronto will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid and honour those who gave their lives during the battle in ceremonies at Old City Hall Cenotaph and later at Dieppe Park in East York. The City is marking this important historic event in acknowledgement of the significant sacrifice made by Torontonians and Canadians during the Second World War.
The Dieppe Raid was a significant military event during the Second World War with tragic results. The City identified 204 soldiers from Toronto who were killed in action or shortly after – a significant loss of life and the most deadly day in Toronto’s war history.
The public is welcome to attend both ceremonies to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to Canada and learn about how the Dieppe Raid affected Toronto and its residents.
Date: Friday, August 19
Time: 8 a.m.
Location: Old City Hall Cenotaph, 60 Queen St. W.
Toronto’s Mayor will welcome the Dieppe families and the public to commemorate the Raid’s anniversary. During this brief commemorative ceremony, the Mayor will deliver remarks and honour the lives lost with a wreath-laying at the Old City Hall Cenotaph.
Date: Friday, August 19
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Dieppe Park, 455 Cosburn Ave.
Moving stories from Dieppe will be told by family members from the perspectives of a survivor, a Prisoner of War, and a soldier killed in action. The City will also unveil an informational display to share the stories of Toronto residents whose lives were impacted forever by Dieppe.
To preface this ceremony, the Royal Canadian Legion will undertake a wreath-laying at the Cenotaph located at the East York Civic Centre at 6 p.m., followed by a march along Memorial Avenue to Dieppe Park.
The display will remain at Dieppe Park until the end of August. The exhibition will then be featured at Scarborough Civic Centre (September 13 to 22), North York Civic Centre (September 27 to October 6), Etobicoke Civic Centre (October 12 to 24) and Toronto City Hall during Remembrance Week (November 4 to 11). Residents can visit the City’s 80th Anniversary of the Dieppe Raid webpage for details and the virtual display.
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