City of Barrie planning to mark major milestones for Canadian Armed Forces
As the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) prepare to mark multiple major milestones this year, Barrie's mayor says the City will be there every step of the way.
On Wednesday, Mayor Alex Nuttall announced multiple upcoming events to pay tribute to the CAF over the coming 13 months. Nuttall says the City has a strong bond with the CAF, given its close proximity to CFB Borden.
"The relationship is incredibly strong and one that we're able to work together and work off of each other on a day by day basis," Nuttall said during an address to the media at City Hall. "Over the next year or 13 months we are going to do everything we can to say thank you."
This year the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), which has been at Borden since its infancy, is marking its 100th anniversary this year. On June 6 the country will also mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
"If you think about those who served in World War II, and if they had to sign up at the age of 18 years of age… and this is the 80th anniversary, that would put a minimum age of 98 years of age. And I think this is a unique opportunity for the City to work with our colleagues at Base Borden and all members of the community to ensure that we provide that the correct recognition, gratitude and respect that it deserves."
In June the City will once again host the popular Air Show downtown in partnership with Base Borden.
"There's going to be the Air Show…which is an incredibly beautiful event for our downtown but one that also allows the story to be told of our Air Force as well as our armed forces," Nuttall said.
The event will start with the Freedom of the City March, the first time that event has been held since 2016.
"I think we're overdue," said Honorary Colonel Jennifer Armstrong, who is based at Borden. "So that's going to be a fantastic opportunity for some of our soldiers, sailors and aviators to come in and participate in that historic request to enter the city."
The Air Show is scheduled to be held the weekend of June 15, with the march happening on the first day.
Currently on display outside Barrie City Hall, multiple banners will be on display along Lakeshore Drive, shining a spotlight on local soldiers who served in the War.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
Earlier this year councillors gave approval to several updates to the City's Military Heritage Park in honour of the RCAF's centennial anniversary.
The first project will see an RCAF roundel represented by annual flowers. According to staff, this will be blue and red flowers separated by a white decorative landscape rock, displaying the colours of the RCAF.
"We have the unveiling of the roundel project with the RCAF, which will essentially allow those who are serving in the air force when flying over the City of Barrie by the Military Heritage Park to see the actual logos from the sky of the RCAF," Nuttall said.
The other part is for a roundel symbolically created in paver stones. It is expected to be about 10 diameters and feature a central paverstone maple leaf with bayberry shrubs.
The projects are scheduled to be completed by June. An exact unveiling date has yet to be confirmed.
The celebrations will continue through the rest of the year, with more details on how the City plans to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), on May 8, 2025, expected to be released at a later date.
"We're also pretty proud of the community engagement that we have with the City of Barrie and we're really, really looking forward to the full year's events that will be added in to the calendar," said Honorary Colonel Wayne Hay.
For more information you can click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Potential tornado 'surreal' for residents who witnessed damaging storm in southern Ontario
Witnessing a potential tornado was 'surreal' for residents who caught a glimpse of the damaging storm in southern Ontario on Wednesday night.
Was this the bug that stung you? Wasp sightings revive murder-hornet concerns; no detections confirmed
As temperatures rise out of a mild El Nino winter, Canada's buggy season is already upon us again, and this year, the bugs are looking especially big.
Minister tables bill to extend citizenship rights to children born abroad
Immigration Minister Marc Miller tabled legislation today that is intended to extend citizenship to some children born outside of the country.
WestJet planning new fare category for travellers willing to forgo carry-on bag
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
Jennifer Lopez's response to question about Ben Affleck is a reminder of their decades of love in the spotlight
Plenty of people are wondering if Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are having problems in their marriage, but one person had the nerve to ask in a public forum.
U.S. Justice Department says illegal monopoly by Ticketmaster and Live Nation drives up prices for fans
The U.S. Justice Department filed a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation Entertainment on Thursday, accusing them of running an illegal monopoly over live events in America -- squelching competition and driving up prices for fans.
Adding just 10% ultraprocessed foods to healthy diets may raise risk of cognitive decline, stroke
Eating more ultraprocessed foods is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline and stroke, even if a person is trying to adhere to a Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet or the MIND diet, a new study found.
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished.