‘Terribly important’: D-Day anniversary marked with parade, ceremony

It’s been 80 years since Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, marking the beginning of the end of World War II.

Today, Canadians across the country gathered to mark that momentous day in history — which included 14,000 Canadians at Juno Beach and is now known as D-Day — including a ceremony at the cenotaph in downtown Barrie.

The event was marked with a parade which started on Mulcaster Street before making its way along Dunlop Street East to the cenotaph in Memorial Square.

Royal Canadian Legion Branch 147 president Marcel Vigneault said the ceremony serves as an important reminder of a key moment in Canadian and world history.

“We have to remember, a lot of lives were lost there and that’s why we are free today,” he said. “They deserve the recognition we do today. We need a lot of people to recognize that these guys fought so hard for us.”

Vigneault said his uncle fought in World War II.

“He came back alive with an injured arm, but he came back.”

As president of the local legion, Vigneault said it’s important that the legions continue to be active to ensure days like today continue to happen.

William Snow is 101 years old and was one of the many veterans who attended today’s ceremony. He was one of thousands of Canadian troops at Juno Beach that day 80 years ago.

Seeing the crowd gather to honor and remember the service and lives lost left Snow — who served as an artilleryman and drove a truck for the First Canadian Radar Battery during World War II — with a little lost for words. .

“It’s hard for me to explain. It is simply wonderful. Every year it seems to be a little bit more,” said Snow, who enlisted in late 1942. “For me, it’s nice to be here and see what’s going on. It’s terribly important… you can’t really express how important it is… People seem to think it is anyway.”

As challenging as those days were 80 years ago, Snow still has fond memories.

“When I came back I celebrated my 23rd birthday in London on the way home. I was just a kid anyway… most of us were kids I guess, so we just did what we were told and that’s it,” he said. “I did it and I would gladly do it again if I had to.”