Photo by Curtis Galbraith.

By Curtis Galbraith

History

80th anniversary of VE Day

May 8, 2025 | 6:00 AM

May 8, 2025, marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

VE is short for Victory in Europe and is the day World War II officially ended in Europe.

It continued into August of 1945 in the Pacific.

Over a million Canadians and Newfoundlanders served in the war. Of those, more than 42,000 were killed and almost 55,000 were wounded.

The federal government hosted at wreath-laying ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.

A national ceremony will be held at sunset in Toronto, one that will include the lighting of the CN Tower as what the government calls a Beacon of Peace.