During the Second World War, over 45,000 Canadian servicemen and women made the ultimate sacrifice. They aren’t just numbers. To truly comprehend the enormity of this loss, examine the impact at a local level.
Shown is an excerpt from a detailed map of Ottawa’s Glebe neighbourhood, a visual representation of the fallen. It’s hard to believe when you see it in the context of a neighbourhood you know! The map uses red to highlight Air Force deaths, black for Army, and blue for Navy. Find more detailed information in an article from the Glebe Report.
Credit to the research of Glebe resident Dave O’Malley.
When the deaths are personal to an area it brings the tragic loss to heart. For me visiting the British Commonwealth Cemetery in the Cassino area in Italy (my husband’s birthplace) in 1991 and seeing the rows of Canadian graves with the young men buried who did not return home, gave a clear message of the sacrifice. With the 80th anniversary events this year it sure is a time to reflect and honour those fallen. It is also a time to hope for peace in our modern world.