D-Day anniversary: Londoners, French students unite in remembrance
The 81st anniversary of the D-Day invasion will be marked this weekend by a London regiment with ties to the battle.
The 1st Hussars Regiment Association will hold a public memorial at 10:30 a.m. next to the Holy Roller tank in Victoria Park.
Two students from France, who've studied the sacrifices of local Canadian soldiers and the significance of the Holy Roller, will join them.
'This tank liberated Normandy, France, and the Netherlands, and it came home,' Joe Murray, a retired LCol with the regiment, told the students.
Both Inès Girard and Clement Hulley reside near Juno Beach, where Canadian soldiers and the Holy Roller tank came ashore on June 6,1944.
For the pair, traveling to the Forest City is a pilgrimage.
'I think you need to investigate the duty of remembrance,' pledged Girard.
The 1st Hussars Regiment Association sponsored the student's trip to Canada and the visit of two of their own overseas.
'We send two young soldiers, usually in their early 20s, over to France to celebrate and commemorate D-Day,' explained Murray.
As area veterans of the invasion have passed, Murray contends it is vital for students and young soldiers on both sides of the Atlantic to learn of their sacrifice.
'Well, I think we always must talk about it, because if we don't talk about it and we don't say the names of the people who sacrificed for us, we will forget. If we speak the names, like we will on Sunday, they will be remembered forever,' said Murray.
The students agreed, with Girard adding, 'If you remember what the soldiers in the past did, we can be vigilant for the future.'
Albeit an increasingly uncertain future.
Which is why Murray stated it remains important to focus on what the Holy Roller represents.
'I always think of the Holy Rollers as the last veteran, and that it symbolizes freedom. People don't realize when they speak their mind that the Holy Roller has their backs. And symbolically, the veterans who won that freedom, well, they're looking down upon them,' said Murray.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
44 minutes ago
- CTV News
Sask. premier, industry leaders, highlight nuclear energy among tariff concerns
As Hallee Mandryk tells us, Premier Moe answered questions alongside industry leaders about the importance of nuclear energy amid U.S. tariffs. The future of nuclear energy in the midst of a trade war proved to be a particularly timely discussion at the Midwestern Legislative Conference (MLC) Tuesday morning. Lawmakers from four provinces and eleven states have gathered in Saskatoon for the annual event, and the 'Fueling North America's Energy Sector' panel featured industry leaders and lawmakers discussing the future of energy. '[There's] no better place to have that broader, longer-term discussion on our collective energy security. We will find our way through this trade tariff discussion. I'm concerned that it's going to get tougher before it gets better,' Premier Scott Moe told media following the panel. 'But we need to find our way through it so that we can get back to doing what we do best, and that's trade with products north and south of the 49th parallel.' Much of the panel was spent discussing how North America is shifting towards nuclear energy. Cameco CEO Tim Gitzel was also on the panel, and shared how while the tariffs are a barrier, they are not a roadblock. 'We know we need electricity whether there's tariffs or not. The world and North America needs a lot more electricity, and so we continue to work on that. And, we're getting great cooperation between Canada and the U.S. on nuclear electricity, and so we'll continue,' Gitzel said. While Canada/U.S. relations have been strained since President Donald Trump imposed tariffs, the conference provided an opportunity for officials on both sides of the border to discuss the relationship between the two countries. 'For many of us, it's been embarrassing ... kind of horrific knowing that for years I've spent my whole life 60 years we have seen Canada as a very close ally,' Ann Johnson Stewart, a state senator from Minnesota said. 'Many of my friends are from Canada. We go to Canada. You know, I live in Minnesota, so I really appreciated what [the] premier said about we just need to push forward.' The state senator highlighted that this conference is an opportunity to build cross border relationships away from the shadow of the White House. 'We need to get back to ignoring the politics and ridiculous things coming out of Washington and work forward towards more collaboration, especially around energy. Johnson Stewart added. Both industry leaders and politicians agreed that the demand for energy is as important as ever, thanks to the rise of new technology such as artificial intelligence – which requires an immense amount of electricity. 'You need baseload 24/7 reliable power – and that's got to be hydro or nuclear or gas and so we're going to need all of the above,' Gitzel said. The discussion highlighted a desire for nuclear energy not only in Saskatchewan – but also for North America to become the main producer of nuclear technology and fuel for other nations. 'This is what makes free and free and fair trade between Canada and the U.S. such an advantage for us when it comes to determining our own future with energy security or general security,' Moe noted. '[But it] also provides us with the opportunity then to cost effectively export this type of technology to places like Western Europe where they're trying to move away from Russian reactors.'
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
PM Carney assembling cabinet today to talk U.S. trade, Middle East
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Mark Carney is meeting virtually with his cabinet today to discuss the state of trade negotiations with the U.S. and the situation in the Middle East. The meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET. Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade Dominic LeBlanc is in Washington today meeting with U.S. officials. Carney said Monday that Canada's negotiations with the United States are in an 'intense phase' after President Donald Trump clinched a critical agreement with the European Union. Trump told reporters last week that Canada wasn't a priority ahead of his Aug. 1 deadline to make trade deals. Ministers are also expected to discuss the situation in the Middle East after the government announced Monday that it's adding $30 million to its humanitarian funding for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and $10 million to 'accelerate reform and capacity-building for the Palestinian Authority.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
In the news today: Poilievre and the Alberta byelection debate, B.C. tsunami advisory
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed… Candidates in Alberta byelection gather for debate Pierre Poilievre was greeted with cheers and applause by the hundreds of Albertans who showed up to watch a two-and-a-half-hour political debate on a sunny Tuesday evening in July. The Camrose and District Chamber of Commerce hosted a candidates' forum featuring 10 of the people who are vying to represent Battle River—Crowfoot in the Aug. 18 byelection. 'My mission here is to give national leadership to the issues that are of local importance,' Poilievre told the sold-out crowd. The Conservative leader is widely expected to win the sprawling eastern Alberta riding, which is considered one of the safest Tory seats in the country. Tsunami advisory, some beaches shut in B.C. British Columbians are being urged to stay away from coastal areas that remain under a tsunami advisory, after one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded triggered warnings and alerts around the Pacific. The District of Tofino says beaches are closed, while the province's emergency information agency says people in areas covered by the advisory should stay away from shorelines, with strong waves and currents possible. Emergency Info BC had said tsunami waves of less than 30 centimetres were expected to hit Tofino, B.C., around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, but there was no immediate confirmation of their arrival that coincided with a low tide. The quake that hit off the coast of southeastern Russia on Tuesday had a preliminary magnitude of 8.8, which would make it the world's strongest quake since 2011. Carney to meet cabinet to talk U.S., Middle East Prime Minister Mark Carney is meeting virtually with his cabinet today to discuss the state of trade negotiations with the U.S. and the situation in the Middle East. The meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET. Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade Dominic LeBlanc is in Washington today meeting with U.S. officials. Carney said Monday that Canada's negotiations with the United States are in an 'intense phase' after President Donald Trump clinched a critical agreement with the European Union. Trump told reporters last week that Canada wasn't a priority ahead of his Aug. 1 deadline to make trade deals. Feds could boost housing fees for migrant workers An Ontario migrant farm worker says there is 'wickedness' in a federal government proposal that could allow employers to charge workers upwards of 30 per cent of their income for housing. The Migrant Workers Alliance for Change shared with The Canadian Press a discussion paper from Employment and Social Development Canada. The document outlines possible regulations for a new temporary worker stream for agricultural and fish processing workers. The planned stream would include sector-specific work permits. That would allow temporary workers to work for any qualified employer in a specific field, instead of having their work permit tied to a specific job. This new stream isn't expected to be active until 2027 at the earliest, according to the discussion paper. Bank of Canada set for interest rate decision The Bank of Canada is expected to make an interest rate decision this morning. Economists and financial markets widely expect the central bank will keep its policy rate steady at 2.75 per cent. A surprisingly strong June jobs report and signs of stubbornness in core inflation convinced many economists the bank would remain on hold. The Bank of Canada left its key rate unchanged at its two most recent decisions as it waits for more clarity on how Canada's tariff dispute with the United States will affect inflation and the economy. Watching kids swim? Put down your phone: experts As Canada heads into a long weekend, the Lifesaving Society is urging parents and caregivers not to have their phones in hand while watching children playing near water or swimming. The society says there has been a spike in drowning deaths this year, particularly in Ontario and Quebec. Last week alone, three people — including two young children and a 24-year-old male kayaker — died in three separate drownings in Ontario. Although the specific circumstances of the deaths aren't known, senior communications officer Stephanie Bakalar says absent or distracted caregivers are a factor in more than 90 per cent of drownings among children under five in Canada. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2025
