The flag raised in a ceremony early Thursday at the Oak Bay Cenotaph to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day had special significance.
It was previously flown at Juno Beach in Normandy, France, where Canadian troops landed on June 6, 1944.
Flags flown at sa国际传媒’s Juno Beach Centre are regularly replaced, and those that are taken down can be purchased through the Flags for Juno80 campaign.
More than 250 of the flags, including the one in Oak Bay, have been sent to Canadian groups and individuals for a minimum $500 donation to support the Juno Beach Centre, which serves as both a museum and a cultural hub.
There were 45,000 Canadians killed in the Second World War, including 5,500 in the Battle of Normandy and 381 on D-Day.
Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch said the flag-raising ceremony was held at 6 a.m. to coincide with the time that D-Day started on June 6, 1944.
He said the entire Oak Bay council was in attendance for the ceremony.
