Veterans Affairs minister vows to help find resolution to Juno Beach condo dispute

Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay is vowing to do “all the things potential” to resolve a dispute over a proposed rental growth at Juno Seashore in France, the location of the D-Day touchdown throughout which tons of of Canadian troopers died.

The positioning is presently residence to the Juno Seashore Centre, a privately operated Canadian museum that has been open for practically 20 years.

The museum has for 2 years been engaged in a prolonged authorized battle with French developer Foncim, which plans to assemble two buildings close to the seaside, for a complete of 66 condos.

“We are going to do all the things potential to convey a correct decision to this dispute,” MacAulay advised reporters outdoors of the museum on Wednesday.

Save Juno Seashore, a group of Canadians organizing to cease the event, says the development of condos on the location the place Canadian troopers took half within the pivotal Normandy landings will dishonour the sacrifices of these troopers who stormed the seaside on June 6, 1944.

Nevertheless, a French courtroom ruling in early January granted Foncim the precise to start development later this 12 months. A spokesperson for the developer advised French media that development may start in September and final for as much as two years.

MacAulay did not go into element about what sort of decision he wish to see, however famous that he had met with the mayor of Courseulles-sur-Mer — the place Juno Seashore is situated — and can be assembly with the French minister delegate for remembrance and veterans to emphasize the significance of commemorating the lack of Canadians who died at Juno.

“I am definitely not going to direct what the centre does, what the city does right here, or what the French authorities does,” he stated.

“My job is to point how essential paying respect and commemoration is, and naturally to point how essential Juno Seashore is to Canada as a result of numerous our blood has been spilled right here.”

Authorized dispute over highway entry

In contrast to the Save Juno Seashore group, the museum says it isn’t categorically against the opportunity of development close to the location of the landings.

The authorized dispute between the developer and the Juno Seashore Centre has largely centred on the utilization of a highway — named la Voie des Français Libres — constructed and operated by the museum.

Foncim plans to make use of the highway in the course of the development. The museum has tried to dam entry to the developer on the grounds that development will disrupt entry to the location.

“We now have nice concern for the influence that this may have on the Juno Seashore Centre,” the museum stated in a earlier assertion to CBC.