A gallery about contemporary Canada; a country that the Canadian Veterans of the Second World War helped build.
“There is not one of us who does not look forward to a better Canada than that which he left.”
— Rifleman Les Wagar, The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada
It was a wish of the Second World War Veterans who created the Juno Beach Centre that the museum galleries end with an exhibition about what Canada became after the Second World War and the society many of them humbly helped build in the decades that followed.
This space, called Faces of Canada Today, is dedicated to the memory of all Canadian Second World War Veterans who fought, without promise, reward, or relief, in the hope of a better world.
Faces of Canada Today will take you through decades of Canadian history and memory; achievements accomplished, and obstacles overcome with courage and resilience.
It is an attempt to formulate what Canadian society has done with the peace that was given to new generations through countless sacrifices.
It presents modern stories of Canada through the lenses of tolerance, inclusion, and peaceful dialogue—all foundational pillars of freedom, equality, and democracy, values that are dear to Veterans, past and present.
In this room, the new scenography immerses the visitor in Canada and addresses the themes of remembrance, war brides and immigration, modern veterans, identities in Canada and civic values, which make the link between yesterday and Today.
Copyright: CJB-L.Benoist
The poppy: symbol of grief and hope
The art installation of “raining” poppies, suspended from the room’s cathedral ceiling, provides with a contemplative focal point that allows them to focus on the civic act of commemorating the Second World War
A river of poppies allows for the creation of digital poppies in honour of a Canadian soldier from 1939 to 1945 and also after the Second World War
This exhibit was brought to life by the Juno Beach Centre, in collaboration with Know History and First Peoples Group.
NIU, Haley Sharpe Design, Proasur, and Twelve Solutions are the primary contributors to the development and creation of this new room.
The necessary funds were raised through public and private funding :
Canadian
- Arthur J.E. Child Foundation
- The Beament Bradford Family
- Royal Canadian Legion
- Metis Veterans Legacy Program
- Veterans Affairs Canada
French
- European Regional Development Fund REACT-EU
- Ministère des Armées
- Région Normandie
Copyrights: CJB-L.Benoist