Blogs | The depths and delights of Dieppe
19/04/2017 - 14:34

Canada Always

Dieppe square 19aout <p>Everyone knows that Dieppe has always shared a strong relationship with Canada. The very first links can actually be traced back to the 16th century, when explorers such as the Verranzano brothers left the port, crossed the ocean and discovered the land they called &ldquo;New France&rdquo;. In recent history, Dieppe was of course the theatre of the infamous Operation Jubilee, in which nearly 5000 Canadian soldiers attempted to raid the town on 19 August 1942. Unfortunately, none of the objectives were met, and a total of 4800 men who made it ashore were either killed, wounded, or captured. Seventy-five years have passed since that day, yet Dieppe continues to honour the soldiers who perished during the raid year after year.</p> <p>Across the Atlantic, a small Canadian city shares its name with our town. Located in the province of New Brunswick, Dieppe is the largest predominantly francophone city in Canada outside Qu&eacute;bec. Its name was adopted by the citizens of the area in 1946 to commemorate the raid of 1942. The two towns are twinned of course, with various exchanges taking place between them on a regular basis. Soon, however, another Canadian locality will hold the same name too. Last week, the city of Montreal announced that it was working on naming a major public space to commemorate the raid. A monument will be erected in the centre of the square in remembrance of the soldiers who lost their lives on our beach. Among the Canadian casualties were 119 members of Montreal&rsquo;s&nbsp;Les Fusiliers Mont Royal&nbsp;regiment&nbsp;and four from&nbsp;The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, also based in Montreal.&nbsp;</p> <p>The public space honouring the Operation Jubilee will be created on the peninsula of the Parc de la Cit&eacute;-du-Havre, just opposite Montreal&rsquo;s waterfront and close to the Concorde bridge that connects to the&nbsp;&Icirc;le Ste-H&eacute;l&egrave;ne.&nbsp;A prime location to underline the importance of remembrance and to strengthen the links between Montreal and Dieppe. The announcement was met with great satisfaction on both sides of the ocean. Dieppe Mayor S&eacute;bastien Jumel spoke of his delight to hear that a square was going to be named after his town in one of North America&rsquo;s most important cities, while Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said his city had a duty to remember such an important battle.</p> <p>Before Montreal gets its Dieppe Square, you can start by visiting the Square du Canada in Dieppe, which is a lovely place to relax just a few steps away from the beach. In its centre lies a monument which features the names of people and events linking Canada and Normandy. In the summer, maple leaves are represented by two large flower-beds on both sides of the square. Just another love letter from Dieppe to Canada!</p>

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