Canada PM Trudeau visits Juno Beach, site of D-Day landings

PARIS – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has visited Juno Beach in Normandy, one of Canada’s most important World War II sites.

On June 6, 1944, thousands of Canadian troops stormed the beach with British and American soldiers on D-Day’s amphibious invasion of the northern French region.

Trudeau arrived with his family Monday and walked along the beach in the sun, as wind blew over French and Canadian flags that stood side-by-side in the sand.

The visit comes a day after more than 20,000 people, most of them Canadians, attended a solemn ceremony at Vimy to commemorate a World War I battle that remains etched on Canada’s national identity.

Trudeau’s visit to the beach does not coincide with any World War II anniversary.

He also visited the Canadian War Cemetery in Beny-sur-Mer.