Question Period Note: JUNO BEACH CENTRE DEVELOPMENT

• The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of the Juno Beach Centre and its mission to honour those who served and sacrificed at Juno Beach and across the Second World War.

• Veterans Affairs Canada is aware of the proposed condominium development adjacent to the Centre. While the dispute is a private matter between the Juno Beach Centre and the real estate developer, and is currently before the courts, rest assured that the Government of Canada will support all efforts to resolve this issue.

• I recently visited France and the Juno Beach Centre, where I met with the JBC, French authorities at all levels, and our officials at the Canadian Embassy in Paris. Everyone is committed to finding a solution.

• We will continue to closely monitor the situation.

BACKGROUND — JUNO BEACH CENTRE DEVELOPMENT

The Juno Beach Centre Association (JBCA) is a Canadian non-profit association that owns and operates the Juno Beach Centre (JBC) in Normandy, France. It tells the stories of those who participated in the 6 June 1944 landings in Normandy during the Second World War. The JBC opened in 2003 on leased land from the city of Courseulles-sur-Mer.

Veterans Affairs Canada has provided funding to support the JBC’s operations since it opened in 2003, including additional funding during the pandemic. Most recently, Budget 2019 provided $500,000 per year for 5 years and in 2020, VAC added an additional $500,000 over two years to offset impacts of COVID-19.

Since 2020, the Centre has been in a legal dispute with a French property developer (Foncim) who wants to build a 70-unit residential condo complex called Domaine des Dunes adjacent to the museum. Foncim has filed six lawsuits against the JBC and Courseulles-sur-Mer to win access to a private road constructed by JBC, which is currently the only means of accessing their land. Attempts by the JBC and Courseulles-sur-Mer to resolve the issue with a negotiated buyout have been unsuccessful.

A recent legal decision granted the developer access to JBC’s private road. Although the JBCA has appealed issuance of the permit, they are currently subject to a bailiff notice requiring the removal of all barriers blocking access to the road. Canada has no jurisdiction on land development in France.

In February 2022, Foncim said it will begin construction before September 2022. The project is estimated to take 22 months and will be on-going during the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy commemorations on 6 June 2024.

On 7 March 2022, the JBCA began a SaveJunoBeach.ca letter writing campaign encouraging Canadians to contact their Members of Parliament and other officials about the proposed condo development. The JBCA is also seeking the support of the Government of Canada and VAC to:

• Support the JBCA efforts in France by communicating with French authorities to express Canadians’ concerns about the Domain des Dunes project and its impacts on the Juno Beach Centre.
• Work with the JBCA to raise the funds necessary to purchase the land from Foncim to avoid harm coming to the Juno Beach Centre.
• Support JBCA discussions with the local prefect on opening an investigation into the rezoning of the Foncim property.

On 24 March 2022, Conservative MP Frank Caputo raised the issue of the Juno Beach development during a Member’s Statement in the House. At an ACVA meeting the following day, he put forward a motion objecting to the development plans, expressing support for the Save Juno Beach Campaign in Canada, and calling on the government to provide financial support to the Juno Beach Centre Association.

On 13 April 2022, Minister MacAulay visited the Juno Beach Centre. A meeting to discuss how the Government of Canada can best provide support was attended by representatives of the Juno Beach Centre Association, Veterans Affairs Canada, and the Canadian Embassy in Paris.

While in France, Minister MacAulay also met with the Mayor of Courseulles-sur-Mer and France's Minister Delegate for Remembrance and Veterans. France's Minister Delegate for Remembrance and Veterans has committed to holding a follow-up meeting with relevant stakeholders with the goal of finding a solution to the issue.

 
WHEN PRESSED:

Q1 – Will the Government of Canada provide funds to purchase the land on which
the Domaine des Dunes condominiums will be constructed?

Veterans Affairs Canada is working closely with the Juno Beach Centre and the Canadian Embassy in Paris as well as the French government, partners and stakeholders to help resolve the situation.