The battle to save part of Juno Beach in France from development is over after the Canadian government announced it would step in to buy the land and prevent construction of a condo on the historic battlefield.
The property, where a French developer was looking to build 70 beachfront condominium units, is right next to the Juno Beach Center, a museum in Courseulles-Sur-Mer, France, that honors Canadian contributions to World War II. world and overlooks the historic battle grounds.
The center had said the proposed condo development would endanger its operations and threaten the sanctity of the site. But now the federal government has announced it is contributing $4 million to help the town of Courseulles-Sur-Mer buy the property.
“This is a great day. A great day for Canada. A great day for veterans,” Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay said during the announcement at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa on Friday. “The developer would go to lands where so much Canadian blood has been spent and in order to secure the peace and freedom we have today. As you would expect, our government was and remains against any development of these hallowed lands .”
Canadian officials had been working for months with the French government as well as local officials to find a solution. Under this agreement, two other parcels of land adjacent to this one will form one site under a 99-year lease to protect it from development.
The Save Juno Beach campaign, organized by Juno Beach Center supporters opposed to the proposed development, saw 65,000 letters sent by Canadians to politicians in Ottawa and France with calls to protect the site. Campaign organizer Cindy Clegg said the development was “one step too far for Canadians.”
“Our efforts to save Juno Beach from development revealed to Canadians what was happening in France, at a time when authorities were turning a blind eye. It should never have come to this,” she said in a statement. Friday.
“Every Remembrance Day, Canadians promise never to forget the sacrifices made for future generations. And this year, we forced our government to step in and protect our country’s legacy and reputation as an ally and a force for good in a war-torn war. world.”
On June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, more than 14,000 Canadians stormed Juno Beach in a hail of gunfire and artillery to help liberate Europe from American occupation. Nazi Germany during the Second World War, making it a sacred site in the Canadian military. the story. Over 5,000 Canadians were killed in the Battle of Normandy and 381 were killed on D-Day.
With files from CTV News’ Michael Lee and Jennifer Ferreira.