Conversations That Matter: Conserve 30 per cent of B.C. by 2030
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On April 22, 1970, Earth Day kicked off what would become an international movement to protect the environment. Fifty-five years later, the winds of change are blowing in the opposite direction. In Canada, political leaders have stepped back from the environment in an effort to win votes.
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Andy Day, CEO of the B.C. Parks Foundation, says, 'The Earth is where we live, work and play. This year, more than any in the past 55, it is vitally important for us to renew our commitment to protecting our precious planet.'
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Day says, 'The demand for parks and protected areas is growing. The pressure on wildlife, habitat, traditional uses, infrastructure, and ecosystems is increasing through rising use and threats like pollution and climate change. The most treasured places in our great province need support or we risk losing what makes British Columbia the beautiful place we all love.'
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Canada Standard
3 hours ago
- Canada Standard
D-day veterans return to Normandy 81 years later to honor freedom
OMAHA BEACH, France: Eighty-one years after the D-Day landings, a small group of World War II veterans has returned to the beaches of Normandy, France. Most are over 100 years old now, but they came back with the same message they fought for during the war: freedom must always be protected. Nearly two dozen veterans who served in Europe and the Pacific are visiting Normandy to honor their fallen comrades. They are being warmly welcomed, especially by local French families and schoolchildren. The June 6, 1944, D-Day landings marked the start of the Allied liberation of France, and Normandy was the first part of mainland Europe to be freed. The beaches, once filled with violence and death, are now places of remembrance. "Bloody Omaha," one of the hardest-fought beaches, is significant. The sacrifice of the Allied soldiers helped build lasting friendships between Europe, the U.S., and Canada. French families treasure stories of D-Day, passing them down through generations. Veterans are greeted with hugs, photos, autographs, and the words "Merci!" from grateful locals. Even the youngest children are excited to meet them. For example, 101-year-old Arlester Brown amazed French schoolchildren by telling them his age. During the war, as a Black soldier in a segregated U.S. Army, he served in a laundry unit that followed Allied troops through Europe. Jack Stowe, now 98, joined the Navy at just 15 after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He still receives kind letters from French children he met on past visits. "The people here are so good to us," he said. "They want their kids to know us and hear our stories. These stories will live on." At the Normandy American Cemetery, where nearly 9,400 U.S. soldiers are buried, visitors rub beach sand into the engraved names on the white gravestones so they're easier to read. Veteran Wally King, 101, paid tribute at the grave of Henry Shurlds Jr., a fellow pilot who died in 1944. Although King didn't know him personally, he felt a strong connection. King himself was shot down and seriously burned on his final mission just weeks before the war ended. King said many veterans stayed silent after the war. "They didn't talk about it with their families. In some ways, that's good—war is full of pain. But we must remember and honor the sacrifice." Each year, fewer veterans are able to return. The Best Defense Foundation, which organizes these trips, brought 50 veterans last year for the 80th anniversary. This year, there are just 23. Among them is 104-year-old nurse Betty Huffman-Rosevear, the only woman in the group. Also returning is 102-year-old Jake Larson, known as "Papa Jake" on TikTok. He landed on Omaha Beach in 1944 under heavy fire and survived. Now, with 1.2 million followers, he shares his story with the world. "We are the lucky ones," Larson said. "They didn't make it home. We are their family now. It's our duty to honor them." As WWII's survivors disappear, the responsibility is falling on the next generations that owe them the debt of freedom. "This will probably be the last Normandy return when you see the condition of some of us old guys," King said. "I hope I'm wrong."
Toronto Star
3 days ago
- Toronto Star
D-Day veterans return to Normandy to mark 81st anniversary of landings
COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France (AP) — Veterans gathered Friday in Normandy to mark the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings — a pivotal moment of World War II that eventually led to the collapse of Adolf Hitler's regime. Along the coastline and near the D-Day landing beaches, tens of thousands of onlookers attended the commemorations, which included parachute jumps, flyovers, remembrance ceremonies, parades, and historical reenactments. More from The Star & partners
Toronto Sun
3 days ago
- Toronto Sun
D-Day veterans return to Normandy to mark 81st anniversary
Published Jun 06, 2025 • 2 minute read Piper Yves Holbecq from the Somme Battlefield Pipe Band plays at sunrise to mark the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings on Gold Beach on June 6, 2025 in Arromanches-les-Bains, Normandy, France. Photo by Kiran Ridley / Getty Images COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — Veterans gathered Friday in Normandy to mark the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings — a pivotal moment of the Second World War that eventually led to the collapse of Adolf Hitler's regime. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Along the coastline and near the D-Day landing beaches, tens of thousands of onlookers attended the commemorations, which included parachute jumps, flyovers, remembrance ceremonies, parades, and historical reenactments. Many were there to cheer the ever-dwindling number of surviving veterans in their late 90s and older. All remembered the thousands who died. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth commemorated the anniversary of the D-Day landings, in which American soldiers played a leading role, with veterans at the American Cemetery overlooking the shore in the village of Colleville-sur-Mer. The June 6, 1944, D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France used the largest-ever armada of ships, troops, planes and vehicles to breach Hitler's defenses in western Europe. A total of 4,414 Allied troops were killed on D-Day itself. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In the ensuing Battle of Normandy, 73,000 Allied forces were killed and 153,000 wounded. The battle — and especially Allied bombings of French villages and cities — killed around 20,000 French civilians between June and August 1944. The exact German casualties are unknown, but historians estimate between 4,000 and 9,000 men were killed, wounded or missing during the D-Day invasion alone. RECOMMENDED VIDEO 'The heroism, honour and sacrifice of the Allied forces on D-Day will always resonate with the U.S. Armed Forces and our Allies and partners across Europe,' said Lt. Gen. Jason T. Hinds, deputy commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe — Air Forces Africa. 'So let us remember those who flew and fell. 'Let us honour those who survived and came home to build a better world. And let us ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain by meeting today's challenges with the same resolve, the same clarity of purpose, and the same commitment to freedom.' Nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed on D-Day. Of those, 73,000 were from the United States and 83,000 from Britain and Canada. Forces from several other countries were also involved, including French troops fighting with Gen. Charles de Gaulle. The Allies faced around 50,000 German forces. More than 2 million Allied soldiers, sailors, pilots, medics and other people from a dozen countries were involved in the overall Operation Overlord, the battle to wrest western France from Nazi control that started on D-Day. Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Olympics
