Juno Beach Centre, Courseulles-sur-Mer, France

The Juno Beach Centre or is a museum situated immediately behind the beach codenamed Juno, the section of the Allied beachhead on which 14,000 Canadian troops landed on D-Day 6 June 1944.

The Centre was conceived in the 1990s by a group of Canadian veterans who felt that the contributions and sacrifices of Canadian soldiers during the liberation of Europe were not properly commemorated and represented in the Normandy region. The project, spearheaded by veteran Garth Webb and his companion Lise Cooper, began initially as a grassroots fundraising campaign that eventually gained the financial support of many institutions and businesses and the Canadian and French governments at many levels. The Centre was inaugurated on 6 June 2003. Over one thousand Canadian veterans attended the inauguration in 2003, as well as the 2004 ceremony for the 60th anniversary of D-Day.

The museum's scope is not only the D-Day landings. Through detailed and interactive exhibition rooms, the museum relates the story of life in Canada before the outbreak of the war, Canada’s civilian and military contribution to the war effort, and contemporary Canadian society in the decades since World War II.

The building itself, designed by Canadian architect Brian K. Chamberlain, is a single-storey structure with five main points, resembling a stylized maple leaf. The exterior is clad in titanium scales and stands about 100 meters back from the present line of sand dunes. A ceremonial area, which features a statue entitled Remembrance and Renewal, stands between the Centre and the dunes. A gap in the dunes is filled by a symbolic structure shaped as a landing craft—a memorial to the French Resistance. An intact German bunker, once an observation post, stands immediately in front of this memorial.

The museum also houses a temporary exhibition space which changes approximately once per year and which highlights various histories and themes relating to Canada past and present.

The Juno Beach Centre is open year round and closes routinely for the month of January. It offers guided visits of Juno Beach that are provided by Canadian students.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Giline Romein (11 months ago)
Very enlightening experience, although not much are in there compared to the airborne museum in St. Mere Eglise. Nice place to go walking on the beach when it's sunny weather.

Kai’ula (11 months ago)
Stunning tribute to the great sacrifices made by the men and women of Canada who fought for the freedom and liberation of thousands. Definitely worth a visit.

Topher Malkin (12 months ago)
36 students from All Saints secondary in Whitby attended the 80th Anniversary ceremony for D-Day today. An amazing opportunity to see some of the few remaining WWII vets to thank them for their service before it's too late.

Sharla (12 months ago)
We were there with a tour guide. She was great at explaining the events and items. The museum is excellent. I highly recommend going there if you get a chance!

P K (13 months ago)
Highly recommended for visiting. The museum offered so many things to learn about the history. Staffs speak proper English.

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