Insight Commemorates Centenary of Major Battles
Next year marks the 100th anniversary of some World War One’s bloodiest battles, including the battles of the Somme and Verdun, and Insight Vacations has a one-time departure that mirrors its Canadian Battlefields of Europe itinerary, with a special focus on the 100th anniversary.
Military historian Dr. Jody Perrun, guest lecturer at the University of Winnipeg and Royal Military College, will lead Insight’s Canadian Battlefields of Europe: A Journey of Remembrance itinerary.
“We are thrilled to offer this special one-time departure that will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the battles of the Somme and Verdun, providing Canadians with the opportunity to pay homage to the brave men who paid the ultimate sacrifice,” said Insight Canada president Cris David. “Our past Battlefields journeys were well received by guests who thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Perrun’s vast knowledge of Canada’s military history and we couldn’t be more pleased to have him return in 2016 to help guide this special interest itinerary.”
Departing Canada on May 26, the15-day departure starts in Paris and visits the likes of a Canadian War Cemetery; and the Juno Beach Centre at Courseulles-sur-Mer, where the Third Canadian Division landed on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
In Ypres, where poison gas was first introduced in warfare, guests visit the Flanders Field Museum, tour the Tyne Cot Cemetery, St. Julien Memorial and the town of Passchendaele – the site of the great battle in which more than 4,000 Canadians died. Guests also visit the Essex Farm bunker where Ontario native John McCrae composed In Flanders Fields.
Two other special departures are also available for guests looking to learn more about Canada’s storied military past. Departing Canada on May 11, the alternate 15-day Canadian Battlefields of Europe: A Journey of Remembrance itinerary will lead guests to the Netherlands, Belgium and Northern France with Dr. Perrun. While the Eastern Europe Jewish Heritage of World War II, departing Canada on June 12, will explore key sites of European Jewish life, Second World War Nazi genocide, and Post-war Memorialization.
