Plans underway for memorial statue to honour Regina Rifles
Plans are being made for a memorial in France to honour members of the Royal Regina Rifles.
The regiment participated in the 1944 D-Day landing at Juno Beach that was a turning point in WWII.
Randy Brooks, an honorary colonel at the Regina Rifles, stopped to salute at the monument in Victoria Park on Wednesday commemorating the 1944 D-Day landing.
“The Regina Rifles played a key role in the invasion force, tip of the spear as they say, the invasion force that came ashore at Juno Beach on the 6th of June of 1944,” he said.
The Regina Rifles had 1,000 members and 458 were casualties during the war. Brooks believes they need to be remembered.
“There’s a modest plaque that’s been there for decades that honours 458. What we’d like to do on the 80th anniversary, and that is something that other regiments have done, and that is to have a larger, in this case a monument, a statue of a Regina Rifle soldier,” Brooks said.
Funds are being raised to erect a statue at next year’s 80th anniversary.
The eight-foot tall statue would be based on a drawing and funds are now being raised. The regiment has strong community support to this day.
The hope is to have the statue ready for public display in Regina next May before it is transported to Juno Beach in June for unveiling during the 80th anniversary commemoration.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.