Decoration Day 100th Anniversary Celebration at The Hamilton Military Museum

HAMILTON, ON – In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Decoration Day and the 75th anniversary of D-Day, Dundurn National Historic Site at 610 York Blvd. is presenting an afternoon of family-friendly activities and free admission to The Hamilton Military Museum on Sun. Jun. 9 from 12: noon to 4 pm.

The public are invited to engage in hands-on activities, observe military vehicles from the Ontario Military Vehicles Association, discover displays, and experience presentations by the Vintage Signals Team.

A presentation by Ken Lloyd (signals historian and veteran) in honour of the 75th anniversary of D-Day is scheduled from 1 to 2 pm in The Coach House Gallery. Guests will discover the little known behind-the-scenes deceptions used by Allied forces to ensure this important victory as Ken weaves an unbelievable true story of deceit, double-crossing spies, fake radio signals and heroic agents.

Quick facts

• Decoration Day is a Canadian tradition that began on June 2, 1890 to mark the sacrifice of members of the Canadian militia killed at the Battle of Ridgeway during the Fenian Raids of 1866. Families gathered to place flowers on veterans’ graves as a symbol of respect and hope.
• The Decoration Day tradition in Hamilton has been maintained through the efforts of the Hamilton Veterans Committee and local branches of the Royal Canadian Legion.
• Each year veterans’ graves in Hamilton cemeteries are decorated as a sign of respect for their sacrifice.
• June 2019 marks the 100th Annual Hamilton Decoration Day Memorial Service.
• D-Day was one of the largest seaborne invasions in history and paved the way for the Allied Victory in the Second World War.

“Hamilton is one of the few communities that maintains this tradition of Decoration Day. It is appropriate that its 100th anniversary coincides with the 75th anniversary of D-Day when we acknowledge those who served on that decisive day in our history.” - Ian Kerr-Wilson, Manager Heritage Resource Management

Additional resources:

• Event listing
• www.hamilton.ca/militarymuseum
• www.hamilton.ca/dundurn
• 905-546-2872, [email protected]
• Facebook @Dundurn National Historic Site
• Instagram @dundurn_castle
• For the full list of events and exhibits presented by Hamilton Civic Museums: www.hamilton.ca/museumevents
• For a comprehensive events calendar, download the City of Hamilton CityApp, for Android and iOS users, through Google Play and App Store