Juno Beach flag raised at township office

Submitted by Tish MacDonald

Eighty-one years ago, on June 6, 1944, Canadians across the country awoke to the voice of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King speaking on national radio.

“At half past three o’clock this morning, the government received official word that the invasion of western Europe had begun. Word was also received that the Canadian troops were among the allied forces who landed this morning on the northern coast of France. Canada will be proud to learn that our troops are being supported by units of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force.”

Several members of the “Honour our Veterans” banner program committee were on hand to help raise a special flag at the township offices last Friday, the 81st anniversary of D-Day. The flag, which originally flew over the Juno Beach Centre in France, was acquired by the committee after several members made a donation to the Juno Beach Centre Association. From left: Sherrill Hodgson, Ian Morrison, Nancy Melcher, Bruce Garrod, Tish MacDonald. Absent were Lesley Burnett, Phil Carmichael and Rob Croxall.

Photo submitted by Tish MacDonald

Canadians across the country huddled near their radios and listened attentively. While many Canadians knew that an invasion of Western Europe was coming at some point, the exact timing, location and scale of the operation was generally unknown except to those military leaders who had been planning the invasion for almost two years.

The news sparked a mix of emotions in Canadians as they learned about the important role the Canadian soldiers were playing in the D-Day landings. One of those emotions was great national pride. Pride that was also felt last Friday, June 6, 2025, when a group of 40 or so citizens gathered at the Uxbridge township offices for the raising of a special Canadian flag to mark the 81st Anniversary of D-Day.

Pride in remembering the 14,000 Canadians who landed on Juno Beach (one of the five D-Day assault landing zones on the Normandy coast in France), who were tasked with taking the beach head and furthering inland towards the city of Caen.

Pride in remembering the 110 Royal Canadian Navy ships, crewed by 10,000 Canadian sailors who suppressed enemy beach defences, provided anti-aircraft and anti-submarine protection, and cleared safe landing craft approaches through minefields.

Pride in the 1,500 members of the Royal Canadian Air Force who supported the Normandy invasion by bombing enemy positions and targets, protecting the skies over the landing zones, transporting paratroopers to the drop zones, and flying reconnaissance missions.

Pride in gathering to raise a special Canadian flag here in Uxbridge, which had been previously flown on Juno Beach, at Canada’s Second World War Museum in France, the Juno Beach Centre.

For over 20 years, the Juno Beach Centre has stood as a tangible memorial to Canada’s participation in the Second World War. They remember and commemorate the sacrifices made by all Canadians who were part of the Allied victory, and work hard to educate visitors about the role the Canadians played in preserving the freedoms we enjoy today.

A Canadian flag flies every day at the Juno Beach Centre. The presence of the Canadian flag ensures that the legacy of these soldiers – as well as the nearly one million other Canadians who served during the Second World War – is not forgotten.

To keep the flags in pristine condition, they are replaced regularly. Once a flag has been retired, it becomes available through the Flag Sponsorship Program.

Committee members of the Uxbridge “  our Veterans Banner Program,” all passionate advocates for remembrance, were honoured to donate to the Juno Beach Centre’s Flag Sponsorship Program. I was delighted to receive the flag on behalf of our committee members at the Juno Beach Centre, along with travellers (many from Uxbridge) on our most recent Honour Them Well/TOLY Remembrance Tour.

I was especially honoured to receive the flag on behalf of two of our committee members, Ian Morrison and Bruce Garrod, as both of their fathers played a role in the D-Day landings. Ian’s dad, Moir, landed on Sword Beach with the 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders; Bruce’s dad, Denis, a sailor in the Royal Navy, landed men and equipment on Landing Craft Tank 980 at Sword Beach.

Ian and Bruce both shared testimony of the D-day service of each of their fathers with those of us gathered at the township office. To say that it was moving is an understatement.

Also in attendance at the flag raising was Donna Barnard, whose father, Fred, landed on Juno Beach in the first wave of assault at Bernières-sur-Mer. Donna quietly spoke about her dad and how much he enjoyed the D-Day 75th Anniversary parade and ceremony held in his honour a few short years ago. It was our privilege to ask Donna to raise the Canada flag on behalf of the members of the Honour our Veterans Banner Committee, and all of those gathered at the ceremony.

“Today, we would like to share this special Canadian flag with the community of Uxbridge. We hope it will allow us all to continue to honour the legacy of our veterans, and especially today, the legacy of those who took part in the D-Day landings.”

We Will Remember Them