The Juno Beach Centre Association Launches He Lived Where You Live, A Postcard Campaign to Connect Canadians with Local Second World War Stories

/EIN News/ -- BURLINGTON, Ontario, April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Juno Beach Centre (JBC), Canada’s Second World War museum and memorial in Normandy, France, announces the launch of a commemorative postcard initiative, He Lived Where You Live. 1,945 households across Canada will receive a unique postcard that shares the name and fate of a soldier who lived at that address and later gave their life during the final months of the war.

“These postcards create a personal connection between contemporary Canadians and the young heroes who perished to defeat Nazi Germany and restore freedom to millions,” said Alex Fitzgerald-Black, Executive Director of the Juno Beach Centre Association. “We have a responsibility to remember that everyone who participated had a unique personality, occupation, family, and home. These postcards remind us that their legacies can be traced back to our local communities even today.”

At the end of April 2025, just ahead of the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, each address was mailed a unique postcard that shares the name and story of the service person who lived at their address when they enlisted in the war effort. Very popular with the public, this is the third time the JBC has created a postcard campaign to connect Canadians with wartime history and commemoration. The campaign is made possible by funds received through Veterans Affairs Canada Commemorative Partnership Program.

With research using the digitized service files from Library and Archives Canada, JBC staff located nearly 2,000 addresses that still exist today from service personnel who died between July 1944 and May 1945. Addresses were located in all 10 provinces, recognizing the geographic diversity of the people who enlisted in the war effort.

Over the course of the war, nearly 45,000 Canadians gave their lives in the fight for a better world. After the success of D-Day, the Canadian Army joined in the pursuit and fought through Belgium and liberated the Netherlands before striking into Germany; their victory was achieved with the support of the Royal Canadian Air Force and enabled by the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Merchant Navy.

Biographies about certain individuals featured on the postcards from specific locations or regiments are available for media upon request. Postcard recipients are encouraged to share their home’s special history and their personal reflections on receiving the card through social media using #JunotoVictory or by emailing junopostcards@junobeach.org

ABOUT THE JUNO BEACH CENTRE

The Juno Beach Centre was established in 2003 as a permanent memorial to all Canadians who were part of the Allied victory in the Second World War, and to preserve this legacy for future generations through education. The Centre in Normandy, France, pays homage to the nearly 45,000 Canadians who died during the War, of which 5,500 during the Battle of Normandy and 381 on D-Day. Over 20 years and more than 1.3 million visitors later, the Centre has been designated a site of national historic significance to Canada. It is owned and operated by the Juno Beach Centre Association, a registered charitable organization based in Burlington, ON, Canada. To learn more, please visit www.junobeach.org.

Media Contact:

Sal Falk, Interpretation and Outreach Coordinator

Juno Beach Centre Association

sal@junobeach.org

905-581-5001