In May, more than 2,400 students from 84 high schools across Canada will be taking the trip of a lifetime to the Netherlands in celebration of the 65th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.
VE Day was declared on May 8, 1945 when the Second World War Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany.
Metroland’s Durham Region Media Group (DRMG) is sending two journalists along to cover the trip and is offering the content they produce to all of CCNA’s member newspapers free of charge.
Reporter Crystal Crimi and photographer/videographer Sabrina Byrnes will be with the students when they join officials from Veterans Affairs Canada at Groesbeek for a memorial service, at the Canadian war cemetery in Holten, for candlelight ceremonies, Liberation Day in the Netherlands, in Bergen and Amsterdam and for a military band tattoo in Voorthuizen.
During the trip Metroland will produce stories, photos and video that will be uploaded to an FTP site for sharing with CCNA member newspapers. Readers can follow the trip on the Victory in Europe blog at durhamregion.com. The blog will be updated regularly before and several times daily during the trip.
Joanne Burghardt, Editor-in-Chief of the DRMG, is encouraging editors who are interested in the coverage to contact her as soon as possible.
“We’ll do our best to include community-specific coverage of the students’ activities for as many interested papers as possible, “ says Mrs. Burghardt.
Participating high schools are from the following communities:
Alberta: Edmonton, Canmore, Wildwood, Strathmore
British Columbia: Delta, Victoria, Fort St John, Dawson Creek, Surrey, Vancouver
Manitoba: Brandon, Thompson, Winnipeg
New Brunswick: St Andrews, Saint John
Newfoundland: Corner Brook
Ontario: Ajax, Barrie, Chesley, Flesherton, Owen Sound, Carp, Port Perry, Uxbridge, Bowmanville, Newcastle, Courtice, Lakeshore, Russell, Cannington, Walkerton, Red Lake, Arva, Napanee, Perth, London, Markham, Mississauga, Nepean, Newmarket, Aurora, Brighton, Markham, Whitby, Oshawa, Orleans, Rockcliffe, Woodstock, Bracebridge, Peterborough, Lakefield, Richmond Hill, Midland, Collingwood, Stayner, Thornhill, Woodbridge, Erin, Whitby, Oshawa, Keswick, Norwood, Brampton
PEI: Summerside, Elmsdale
Saskatchewan: Balcarres, Waldheim
For a complete list of the schools or to make inquiries email Joanne Burghardt, Editor-in-Chief of the Metroland Durham Region Media Group, at jburghardt@durhamregion.com. Or call her at 905 579 4400 ext. 2247.
