Barrie hosts nighttime ceremony commemorating 80th anniversary of D-Day
A large group gathered along Barrie's waterfront Thursday night for a special sunset ceremony to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
On Thursday, at 8:30 p.m., soldiers from the Grey & Simcoe Foresters gathered at the General John Hayter Southshore Community Centre. From there, they marched the short distance to the adjacent Military Heritage Park.
"The Grey & Simcoe Foresters participated in the D-Day landing; however, our unit had been disbanded and broken up," said Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Lacroix, the commanding officer for the group.
Thursday's nighttime ceremony also included members of the 400 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force, an actual D-Day fighting unit, and other members of the army and supporting military units.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
Lacroix said that the sunset gathering has historical significance.
"The sunset ceremony is in place for after a military unit would have posted their guards for the night, and it allows the soldiers who are not on guard duty for the night to rest peacefully while they wait for the next day's task," Lacroix said.
"So the night ceremony is part of a very old tradition where the guard commander would go around checking all the posts, making sure all…are on post and alert. The sound of the bugle calls reminds the soldiers that are going to bed that the camp is secure and safe overnight," Lacroix added.
At sunset, the navy, army and air force lowered three flags in a joint effort. All 13 fallen local soldiers were named.
The evening gathering was one of many commemoration ceremonies held throughout Simcoe County to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian team told Trump's tariffs unavoidable right now, but solutions on the table in surprise Mar-a-Lago meeting
During a surprise dinner at Mar-a-Lago, representatives of the federal government were told U.S. tariffs from the incoming Donald Trump administration cannot be avoided in the immediate term, two government sources tell CTV News.
Pedestrian killed by Via Rail train near Kingston, Ont.
Regular rail traffic has resumed with severe delays.
Muskoka reacts to major snowfall, hundreds stuck on Highway 11
From road closures, power outages, weather declarations and nonstop shovelling, Muskoka residents were faced with nearly a metre of persistent snowfall on Saturday.
Saskatoon priest accused of sexual assault says he meant to encourage young girl with hug and kiss
A Saskatoon priest accused of sexual assault says he meant to encourage and reassure a young girl when he hugged and kissed during his testimony at Saskatoon Provincial Court Friday.
Beef prices reach record highs in Canada
The cost of beef continues to rise, reaching record highs on grocery store shelves ahead of the busiest time for many grocers and butchers before the holiday season.
Trump threatens 100% tariff on the BRIC bloc of nations if they act to undermine U.S. dollar
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Saturday threatened 100 per cent tariffs against a bloc of nine nations if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar.
Bob Bryar, drummer for rock band My Chemical Romance, dead at 44
Bob Bryar, former drummer for the band My Chemical Romance, has died. He was reportedly 44.
Toronto man accused of posing as surgeon, giving four women injections
A 29-year-old Toronto man has been charged after allegedly posing as a surgeon and providing cosmetic procedures on several women.
'Disappointing': Toronto speed camera cut down less than 24 hours after being reinstalled
A Toronto speed camera notorious for issuing tens of thousands of tickets to drivers has been cut down again less than 24 hours after it was reinstalled.