Key Messages

• As the sun rose over the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, Canadian Forces from land, air and sea came together on D-Day in the pursuit of freedom. By the time the sun set that day, the Canadians had progressed further than any other Allied troops.
• D-Day was one of Canada’s most significant military engagements, and a pivotal moment of the 20th century. D-Day and the campaign that followed in Normandy would signal the beginning of the end of the Second World War.
• The Canadian triumph at D-Day and the Battle of Normandy was not without sacrifice. 1Of the more than 90,000 Canadians who served in the Battle of Normandy, more than 5,000 would lay down their lives defending freedom, democracy and the rule of law.
• On June 6, as Canadians across the country gather at events marking this significant anniversary, a small delegation of Canadian Veterans of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy will return to Normandy with the Honourable Greg Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs. The journey of remembrance will allow the Veterans to return to their old battlefields and honour their fallen comrades.
• Our Veterans—ordinary Canadians who accomplished extraordinary things—represent the best of Canada. The freedoms we enjoy today are because of them and we owe it to them to remember. We must always remember those who served and the fallen, and help to keep alive the values for which they fought and sacrificed so much.
• It is fitting that this year Canadian Forces Day falls on June 7th, one day after the 65th anniversary of D-Day, because the values our Veterans fought for on the beaches of Normandy are the same ones our military men and women continue to defend today. So, as you think about the contributions of those who landed on foreign shores 65 years ago, I would also ask you to offer up thanks to the men and women in uniform today.
• Canada remembers its heroes—we pay tribute to their legacy and honour those who continue to serve today.
• On June 6, Canada remembers. Canada remembers D-Day.