Cadets march along Woodbine Avenue on Sunday afternoon during the Royal Canadian Legion Zone D-3 Parade and Memorial Service to mark the 81st anniversary of D-Day. Photo by Alan Shackleton.

In honour of D-Day’s 81st anniversary, the members of the Royal Canadian Legion Zone D-3, held a parade and memorial service on Sunday, June 8, in East Toronto.

The parade took place along Kingston Road and was followed by a memorial service at the base of the Veteran’s Section in St. John’s Norway Cemetery.

Royal Canadian Legion members, local cadet corps members, local politicians and clergy took, along with members of the public, took part in the ceremony.

Among the speakers at the memorial service was Rev. John Quaggin, Deacon, St. John the Baptist Norway Anglican Church and Rev. Alex Bisset, Chaplain, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 10 Todmorden.

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Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford and Beaches-East York MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith marched in the parade and also attended the memorial service which featured the laying of wreaths, prayers, hymns and music from the Ulster Accordion Band.

D-Day on June 6, 1944 was the start of the invasion of France and the liberation of Europe by Allied troops to end the Second World War. More than 14,000 Canadian military members took part in the D-Day invasion. Canadian troops secured Juno Beach at the cost of more than 1,000 casualties, with 359 killed.

Beach Metro Community News editor Alan Shackleton took photos at the Sunday’s event, and some of them are shown below: