Remembrance and the Canadian Battlefields Foundation
Partnership with Juno Beach Centre
Photos courtesy of the Juno Beach Centre
The Juno Beach Centre
The Juno Beach Centre, located in Courseulles-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, opened its doors in 2003 as Canada’s only museum on the D-Day Landing Beaches. The centre sits on the very beach where Canadian forces landed on June 6, 1944, during Operation Overlord. Its establishment was largely due to the tireless efforts of D-Day veteran Garth Webb and other veterans who wanted to create a permanent museum to preserve the legacy of Canadian contributions during the Second World War.

The Centre serves multiple purposes: it’s a museum, a cultural centre, and an educational facility. Its mandate focuses on preserving and communicating Canada’s military and civilian contributions during the Second World War, including the Normandy Campaign. The museum features permanent and temporary exhibitions that tell the story of Canada’s war effort both at home and abroad.
One of the key accomplishments of the Juno Beach Centre has been its success in reaching younger generations. Through its educational programs, it welcomes thousands of visitors annually, including many Canadian students. The Centre has developed comprehensive teaching resources and conducts guided tours of “Mike Red” Sector of Juno beach, including German bunkers and defense systems.
The Juno Beach Centre’s achievements include creating bilingual exhibits that reflect Canada’s military heritage, developing partnerships with French local authorities and communities, and maintaining a year-round presence as a symbol of Canadian-French friendship. The Centre has become a crucial pillar in preserving the memory of Canada’s military contributions and serves as a vital bridge between past and present generations.
The Canadian Battlefields Foundation (CBF), while a separate entity, shares complementary goals with the Juno Beach Centre. Established in 1992 to promote and conduct educational study programs about Canadian participation in overseas military operations for Canada in the Second World War, the CBF maintains important memorial sites of interpretation in the Canadian sectors of the Normandy Campaign. Thanks to the CBF, the JBC can send its visitors to explore more aspects of Canada’s Battle of Normandy contributions beyond Juno Beach and attend important commemorative ceremonies organised by the CBF, like the Abbaye d’Ardennes or City of Caen ceremonies.
The CBF and the JBC work in the field of preserving and promoting Canadian military history, the relationship between the two institutions is an important one as both organizations certainly contribute to the broader goal of maintaining Canada’s military heritage and educating future generations about Canadian sacrifices during the Second World War. Both institutions are particularly focused on helping young Canadians, especially students and educators, understand Canada’s wartime contributions.
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Your Support Helps Us Bring History to Life
Every step we take—from retracing battlefields to supporting students—is powered by the generosity of donors who believe in the importance of remembrance. Your gift supports our student bursary program, preserves memorial gardens, and funds annual commemorative ceremonies. Join us in keeping Canada’s history alive.