Seventy-three years ago, then-British prime minister Winston Churchill declared May 8, 1945, to be "Victory in Europe Day" after a gruelling five-year war against Nazi Germany and its allies.
The day before, people had already started celebrating amid news that Hitler had committed suicide in his so-called Fuehrerbunker in Berlin days prior, and Germany has surrendered unconditionally.
Canada celebrated, too. It had joined the war effort early, with its first troops departing for Europe at the end of 1939. More than one million Canadians performed full-time duty during the war. They fought in the raid on Dieppe and at Juno Beach on the shores of Normandy.
More than 40,000 Canadians died in service, while about 8,000 were captured as prisoners of war.
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| Celebrations in Montreal |
