Day 1 - Toronto to Brussels via Montreal

The day has finally arrived. It has been over six months since the successful applicants for the Juno Beach Centre Association Summer Institute received their notices. The Summer Institute is a professional development activity created by the Association to take educators over to Belgium and France to give them a better understanding of some of the sites that played an instrumental role in Canada's contributions to the Allied war efforts during the First and Second World War. The majority of participants are elementary and high-school teachers from all over Canada. Well, and then there is me, aka Astra Girl, a Museum Educator who works at the National Air Force Museum of Canada. In my day to day work life, I create and coordinate programs for schools from JK to grade 12, cadets squadrons and other interested youth groups. In addition, I design public programs for our general visitors who come outside of a formal programs. If you would like to find out more, you can always visit the Museum in person from 10-5, or start with our website www.airforcemuseum.ca

(Back to the Juno Beach Tour...)
Anticipation for this tour kept growing over those months as more details were released and tour participants began to touch base with each other via email. The Juno Beach Centre Association also provided lots of reading material to give people plenty of background information on the sites on the itinerary, and their historical significance in the context of the two world wars in general, and the Canadian experience in particular.

I would like to invite you to follow me on this once in a life time journey. My plan is to give you as much background information of each stop, and I can promise you there will be many, as possible and to post a few pictures of each stop as well. Much of this will depend on the Wi-Fi connections available but also on how much time is left at the end of the day.

Okay, time to close the suitcase and head of for the Airport. See you in a bit.


I made it to Pearson on time despite the heavy Friday traffic on the 401.About one third of the group gathered at terminal 1 to fly to Montreal. The flight was slightly delayed but given the layover time, this was of no concern.
Wifi at Trudeau airport is not working, so updates have to wait.
The remaining tour participants all arrived in Montreal and now the tour can officially begin.

The flight into Brussels is a little bumpy and soon after take off we are flying over a thunderstorm. It is an interesting experience to see lightning strikes from above.