Royal Regina Rifles help recognize 79th anniversary of D-Day
It’s been 79 years since the war effort known as 'D-Day,' which eventually led to the liberation of western Europe during World War II. The day was marked with a service in Normandy with the Royal Regina Rifles on hand.
D-Day remains the largest combined land, sea and air invasion ever attempted and the effort is often credited with turning the tide of the Second World War.
Out of Canada's 1,096 total causalities on D-Day, the Regina Rifles sustained 102.
Lt.-Col (retired) Ed Staniowski spoke with CTV Morning Live from what was once a German bunker near Juno Beach.
“It’s pretty special to be here and I had a chance to be here with some of the veterans who sadly have since passed away, as you know it’s been 79 years, but a special statue will be erected for them next year on the 80th anniversary which will be a very big event,” Staniowski said.
Having served in the military himself, Staniowski said it always tugs on his heartstrings to visit the historic site.
“I think of the sacrifice that those young men from Saskatchewan and all across Canada made when they landed here on Juno Beach to liberate France and onto Belgium and then onto the Netherlands,” he said.
Staniowski said hearing the continued appreciation from current day residents of Normandy, Belgium and other parts of Europe always resonates with him.
“These are wonderful people in Normandy and in Belgium and in Holland and it really resonates with those of us here from Canada and get to hear stories first hand.”
In Regina, a ceremony was held in front of city hall to commemorate one of the most important days in the history of the Rifles.
A display of courage and heroism that still inspires members of the Rifles, nearly 80 years later.
“The soldiers of the Regina Rifle Regiment, as it was known then, good old farm boys from across Saskatchewan, known as the Farmer Johns, knew how to pick up that fight, and assault those beaches and fight inland further than any of the other Allied forces that day,” Lt.-Col Kyle Clapperton, commanding officer of the Royal Regina Rifles, said in his speech.
Anyone who wishes to donate to 'Operation Calvados' the Rifles' effort to erect a statue on Juno Beach for the 80th anniversary of the landings, can find the fundraiser here.
German prisoners taken by Canadian troops at Juno Beach, D-Day, during the invasion of Europe, on June 6, 1944. THE CANADIAN PRESS/National Archives of Canada, Frank L. Dubervill, PA-133754.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.