The Battlefield Tours

11/12/2023

🍁 To the men and women who fought - to the ones I knew - Ray Lewis, Bud Weeks, Diana Lucy, Paul Delorme, Gerry Peddle, George Skerkowski, Frank Fordham, and to the ones I wish I knew, Jack Poolton, Bob Wignes, Philip Griffin and so many more.

Not only the uniformed warriors but also the families who stood strong in the face of uncertainty, their pain rippling through generations, yet still embodying the resilience, dedication, and compassion that defines the Canadian spirit. 🍁 For their families back home: Sharon Weeks, Marg Lessens, Ruth Pearson, Jayne Poolton, Shannon Hancock, and so so so many others impacted by the outcome of war, that I can't even count.

🍁 And to those in the remembrance day community today who are selflessly devoted to serving, remembering, respecting and honouring our Canadian war history, here and around the globe: Jon Haslock & Alison Haslock, Glenn Edmonds, Steve Douglas, the whole team at DHTour - London and U.K. Specialists, Simon En Delphine, Berry Swarthoff, Ian Cowan, the whole team at Liberation Route Europe, the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 005 The Liberation of the Netherlands. Also a toast to the historians and guides we are so lucky to have to look up to: David O'Keefe, David Patterson, Ted Barris, Mark Zuehlke, Susan Raby-Dunne, Magali Desquesne, Paul Woodadge, oh my goodness Paul Reed, Tim Cook, Ben Mayne, Al Cameron, Alexandra van Landschoot and her father Gilbert, Roger Chabot, Eric Brunt, Rick Draffin, Brad St.Croix, Marcel Hoogenboom ...and so many others - you guys carry the torch of remembrance forward, every day, ensuring that the incredible stories of our past bravery and sacrifice are forever etched in our collective memory.

I love you all so much and appreciate everything you do.

a toast to you all tonight you wonderful people in this amazing community ❤️

🍁

03/27/2023

SPECIAL TOUR NEWS ALERT: 4 SPACES AVAILABLE!

Join us for an unforgettable trip, as escorted by two extraordinary guides; historian and professor David O'Keefe and lead Canadian battlefield guide Glenn Edmonds with a special guest appearance by Joël Stoppels. This tour includes a series of experiences you won't want to miss - we hope to see you there.

https://mailchi.mp/thebattlefieldtours/special-tour-news-alert-4-spaces-available

11/13/2022

The Battlefield Tours Weekly Update - Remembrance Day 2022: The Highlight Reel

Subscribe at www.thebattlefieldtours.com/subscribe

- https://mailchi.mp/thebattlefieldtours/weeklyupdate-sept5-9537194

11/08/2022

Woot woot!

It’s been a very busy day here at the Library setting up our incredible 2022 Remembrance Exhibit in our Program Rooms! Event organizer and OPL staffer Jayne (seen here holding her grandfather’s WWI helmet) has been working tirelessly around the clock to make this award-winning program the best one yet. This program runs November 8, 9, 10 and 12 and is free and open to all. Visit our website for more info and exhibit hours: https://bit.ly/3fwbD2I

11/06/2022

The Battlefield Tours Newsletter: Preparing for Remembrance 2022

Are you ready for Remembrance Day this year?

For a lot of people, including myself, this is a year to look forward to reuniting in real life - We'll be reuniting with our friends at the Orillia Public Library next weekend as part of the Orillia Public Library's award-winning Remembrance Event.

If you live in the area we encourage you to join us!

Click here to read the full newsletter
https://mailchi.mp/thebattlefieldtours/weeklyupdate-dec52021-9536334

See you next Saturday Jayne Poolton-Turvey 🎉🎉

08/01/2022

You don’t hear about the Navajo code often but it’s a really cool bit of history.

One of the last surviving Navajo Code Talkers, Samuel Sandoval, passed away at age 98 on Friday. Some sources say there are only 3 code talkers from WWII still alive.

If we look at WWII, and think about how important communication was to winning and losing, the Navajo code talkers may have been as important a part of the US victory over Japan as any other aspect.

Sending love the Diné people today from Saskatchewan, Treaty Six territory.

07/30/2022

Wickenby Aerodrome, Lancaster bomber base - Jul 22

https://wickenbyairfield.com/
Wickenby Aerodrome you're a very cool place. Thanks for welcoming our group with open arms - what a BLAST!

07/03/2022

06/08/2022

Dieppe 80 is almost here, w. Glenn Edmonds, Sam Cowan, Jayne Poolton and David O’Keefe - a trip with the whole gang!? You can tell we’re so excited to be back on the battlefields - limited space available if you’re up to join us for a once-in-a-lifetime tour.

www.thebattlefieldtours.com/dieppe80

06/07/2022

Greetings, from Juno Beach, in honour of the 78th Anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Yesterday marked 78 years since the largest, most complicated amphibious landing in human history took place. It marked the beginning of the end in Northwest Europe.

Take a look at all the D-Day 78 Canadian Events and Resources that came out of a beautiful day.

https://mailchi.mp/thebattlefieldtours/weeklyupdate-dec52021-9026566

05/13/2022

This famous landscape is changing right before our eyes

05/08/2022

05/05/2022

Beautiful!! A big haartstikke bedankt to the 005 RCL!!!

Ruim duizend mensen hebben woensdagochtend de dodenherdenking bijgewoond op de Canadese Begraafplaats in Holten. Op het ereveld met 1394 gesneuvelde soldaten werden na 2 jaar weer als vanouds gedichten voorgelezen, vlaggen gehesen en vlogen vier historische vliegtuigen over. ,,Indrukwekkend’’, z...

04/29/2022

For the first time in 2 years! It's an HONOR to bring the very first group of Canadians back to Dieppe.

A big thank you to the Canadians who are willing and able to join us for our very first trip back. You're a special group to all of us, both here at The Battlefield Tours and at the Memorial Musee in Dieppe.

A big thank you also to Glenn Edmonds and Daniel Jaspart as always ❤️

It is good to be back!!

04/29/2022

After YEARS of tours, our first group finally got to meet and spend time with THE ARLETTE GONDREE! Our head battlefield guide says her memory is incredible and her energy is something. She still runs the same cafe - since that famously fateful day in '44...

At 4 years old Arlette hid in a cellar on D-day while British paratroopers landed in gliders crashing down around the site, seizing the now famous Pegasus Bridge - her cafe was the first house to be liberated in Europe. The day was June 6th, 1944.

Thanks for sharing Glenn and a toast to our very FIRST battlefield tour - as one of the first Canadian groups back on battlefield territory, we've found the reception overwhelmingly welcome.

This is a good sign friends.

04/18/2022

We're excited for our Liberation 77 Tour back to the Netherlands, a highlight for sure will be lunch and ceremony at Holten Canadian Military Cemetery on May 4th 2022.

This will be our first time back visiting the new and impressive Holten Canadian Cemetery information centre, which was unveiled on April 8th in a beautiful ceremony.

The ICB is currently also paying attention to the 27 Canadians with Ukrainian roots who already fought for the freedom of Europe in WW2 and are buried in Holten.

Thank you to the Netherlands for all you do for us Canadians. Respect and love, SEE YOU SOON!

https://www.canadesebegraafplaatsholten.nl/en/nieuwsbericht/opening-renewed-information-center-canadian-cemetery-holten/

04/15/2022

Being back in Caen brought back so much of the feelings. It's good to be back.

04/11/2022

Subscribe for tonight's Vimy 105 video: a beautiful re-cap of all 105th anniversary Vimy events. A big thank you to The Vimy Foundation, Jean-Pierre J. Godbout, the Les Amis du Monument Canadien de Vimy, and the rest of the beautiful wonderful Vimy team for hosting a great series of days.

OH! And the historical reenactors who volunteered their time. Merci.

It was so great to meet all of you in real life!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdUJ1kxAP-Z4sGK5sFitw9g?sub_confirmation=1

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

04/03/2022

Greetings, from Caen! That's right! We're BACK on the BATTLEFIELDS! - Have you been missing our newsletter? Re-subscribe at this link to see upcoming events to see at Juno & Vimy this week!

Resubscribe here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdUJ1kxAP-Z4sGK5sFitw9g?sub_confirmation=1

See our newsletters here:

https://mailchi.mp/thebattlefieldtours/weeklyupdate-dec52021-8977778

03/12/2022

SO EXCITED I COULD CRY -

Brad St.Croix host of the OTD Canadian Military YouTube Channel goes LIVE with Alexander Gilbert David Fitzgerald-Black today to discuss the beautiful and much anticipated Dieppe to Juno exhibit at the Centre Juno Beach / Juno Beach Centre

Beautiful work guys, I can't wait to see this in REAL LIFE in a few weeks time.

In the meantime, our whole team is looking forward to tuning in today 👍 (er- at least, those of us on the team who aren't already on tour 😁)❤️

Join me as I welcome Alexander Fitzgerald-Black, from the Juno Beach Centre, to discuss the JBC's new temporary exhibition "From Dieppe to Juno: The 80th Ann...

02/21/2022

International travel just got a lot easier. - https://mailchi.mp/thebattlefieldtours/weeklyupdate-dec52021-8974578

See Liberation 77 News, a Guide to Covid Insurance, and what the new travel advisory requirements means for travellers in 2022

02/14/2022

Here's a Valentine for your Valentine 😍
Tanks for the love.

02/06/2022

https://youtu.be/MY79fmyx4hg

On the Liberation of Holland 70th program, Bud climbed out of his wheelchair and climbed onto the Sherman Tank Monument at the Airborne Museum (Hartenstein Hotel) in Arnhem Netherlands, surrounded by friends, family, and the admiring Dutch children who came out to meet him.

It was a day we will never forget. Today is Bud's birthday, we continue to honour, remember and celebrate his life. Thank you Bud for all you have taught us, and all that you fought for.



Wishing our good friend Bud Weeks a very happy birthday today.

Rest in peace our dear friend.

Read more about Bud here: https://www.thebattlefieldtours.com/post/celebrating-a-veteran-s-birthday-bud-weeks

See more videos about Bud:
https://youtu.be/mNhlyXQjVCw

Bud Weeks was a Radio Operator on Sherman Tanks in the Second World War. He arrived and fought through Normandy on D-Day + 48. On the Liberation of Holland 7...

01/26/2022

Getting our NEW Youtube Page back up and running, today's featured video is with Bud Weeks.

Bud Weeks was a radio operator in the Second World War, we owe him a debt we could never repay, for his knowledge, resource, reference, suffering, and sacrifice.

On tour in 2015, Canadians Battlefield Guide, Glenn Edmonds picked up an 88mm shell casing and asks Bud to take a look.

For more explorations, discoveries and memories, subscribe to our NEW youtube channel The Battlefield Tours, or join our newsletter at www.thebattlefieldtours.com/subscribe

https://youtu.be/mNhlyXQjVCw

Bud Weeks was a radio operator in the Second World War, we owe him a debt we could never repay, for his knowledge, resource, reference, suffering, and sacrif...

01/26/2022

Celebrating Samantha Cowan chatted with Lord Charles Bruce, the great great great grandson to Robert the Bruce, King of the Scots!

Subscribe to The Battlefield Tours New Youtube Channel to watch the full interview!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlxxsBhynpA&t=2s

01/10/2022

The Battlefield Tours Weekly Update - Jan 9th 2022 -

Happy New Year!

The tree is down, but our chins are up!

Much to look forward to in the Year Ahead!

Take a look
https://mailchi.mp/thebattlefieldtours/weeklyupdate-dec52021-8968669

Subscribe to our newsletter:
www.thebattlefieldtours.com/subscribe

12/26/2021

The Battlefield Tours Weekly Update - Dec 26 2021 - https://mailchi.mp/thebattlefieldtours/weeklyupdate-dec52021-8866957

B O X I N G D A Y : Register today and take 5% off a Summer or Fall 2022 Battlefield Tour ---

Click on the URL for more info

- Happy Holidays! -