Ottawa marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) with bagpipe players lined up from the Canadian War Museum to the War Memorial on Saturday afternoon.
The Sons of Scotland Pipe Band, composed of 80 pipers and 20 drummers, were stationed at 80 spots along Wellington Street.
Each piper, dressed in kilt and doublet, began playing from their designated positions along the street in one-minute intervals.
The walk ended at the National War Memorial, where a massed band performance concluded the day.
VE Day marks the day Germany unconditionally surrendered its military forces to the Allied forces on May 8, 1945. In Paris and London there was a outpouring of joy and Canadians joined the celebrations. In Toronto, thousands danced in the streets while three Mosquito aircraft dropped
tickertape
from
overhead.
More than a million Canadian soldiers served in the Second World War, and 45,000 were killed. Canadians played a key role throughout the war, such as liberating and the Netherlands from German occupiers and bringing aid to the Dutch.
Alan Beveridge, one of the bagpipers, was born 10 years after VE Day. He is turning 70 on Thursday and was 70th in line. He’s a retired soldier.
“We all owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women who served during the Second World War,” he told Postmedia on Saturday afternoon.
“We also owe a debt of gratitude to our soldiers and sailors and airmen who continue to serve now, helping to keep Canada free.”
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