From Juno Beach to College Avenue

The U of R's Connection to Operation Calvados

More than 82 years ago, on June 6, 1944, the Regina Rifles landed on Juno Beach as part of the largest amphibious invasion in military history. To commemorate the sacrifices of these citizen-soldiers from all over Saskatchewan, the RRR Trust raised funds to install a statue in Normandy that was unveiled on June 5, 2024, by RRR Colonel‑in‑Chief Her Royal Highness Princess Anne. The eight-foot-tall bronze statue was created by world-renowned sculptor Don Begg. 

Unveiling the statue was one of the highlights of a ten-day Tour of Honour in 2024 that allowed current and retired members and supporters of the Rifles to visit several sites that form part of the regiment’s history on D-Day and the ensuing battles in the fall of 1944, as well as some sites from the First World War. 

Kelsey Lonie BEd’15, MA’24 embarked on her work as military historian on the Operation Calvados project while a graduate student at the University of Regina. Her goal was to bridge the gap between the military and the public and look for connections that made the commemoration of the Regina Rifles’ contributions meaningful. Through her research, she learned how widespread the stories of the Regina Rifles are in Saskatchewan and how close to home their service was for many people across the province. “They pulled soldiers from all across Saskatchewan,” Lonie says. “I got to dig into some of the stories and understand that these were not hardened career soldiers — these were doctors, farmers, teachers, hunters and gatherers who felt compelled to join the service, whether they were to return or not return. Looking at how that affects the next generation in Saskatchewan, we’re not that far removed from it at all.”  

Lonie also supervised history honours student Emily Reid, who travelled to Normandy with her to document the 80th anniversary activities and create a digital time capsule for the University of Regina’s Dr. John Archer Library &Archives. “It was incredible to be able to go to Juno Beach and some of the other battlefields,” Reid says. “I never thought I’d see them, much less have it be part of my schooling.”  

The RRR representatives were welcomed to Normandy in the same spirit with which they were greeted when the Rifles liberated communities eight decades prior. “The effort they put into remembering the Canadians who were part of their liberation from the German army, seeing the Canadian flags in the windows, seeing a person there dressed up in a Regina Rifles uniform — it was incredible,” Reid says.  

Meeting people who had been liberated was equally moving for Lonie. “It shows the impact of folks going over and fighting for a country that’s not theirs and liberating people who had been under Nazi tyranny for years, who were starving, tired, oppressed,” she says.“ Those stories live on in the lives of the children and grandchildren. People still remember the liberation—they’re elderly now—the gratitude and their act of remembrance is touching and reinforces the reason why we’re all doing this.” 

The RRR delegation met members of the Up the Johns! Association, a French group dedicated to remembering the Regina Rifles’ role in securing their freedom. Representatives from that group made a reciprocal visit to Saskatchewan in September 2026 to visit the hometowns, farms and loved ones of the soldiers who landed in France during the war. One of their stops was the College Avenue Campus, where they helped unveil a scale maquette of the memorial statue installed in Normandy.

Dr. Ellyn Lyle, Provost and Vice-President (Academic) and Retired Lieutenant-Colonel Ed Staniowski unveil the maquette at College Avenue Campus.
Dr. Ellyn Lyle, Provost and Vice-President (Academic) and Retired Lieutenant-Colonel Ed Staniowski unveil the maquette at College Avenue Campus.

Honouring the history and legacy of the Regina Rifle Regiment

Operation Calvados was a three‑phase plan to honour the history and legacy of the Regina Rifle Regiment—now the Royal Regina Rifles (RRR)—one of the first Canadian regiments to storm Juno Beach at Normandy on D‑Day in 1944. The project had three phases: 1) installation of a memorial statue commemorating the RRR on Juno Beach, 2) a Tour of Honour where retired and active RRR members went to Normandy and followed in the footsteps of the soldiers as they fought to liberate France, and 3) a legacy piece that includes the Operation Calvados documentary and recognition of the RRR on the University of Regina College Avenue Campus. 

First presented to President Jeff Keshen in November 2024 at the premiere of of the documentary, Operation Calvados, it is now part of the President’s Art Collection. The maquette’s installation, along with an accompanying plaque was made possible through the support of the University of Regina Alumni Association, honouring more than 200 Second World War service personnel who were affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan’s Regina College, the predecessor of the University of Regina.

“A lot of the soldiers in the Regina Rifles either left their education behind to serve in the Second World War or they made use of their benefits upon returning from the war to then go to school,” Lonie notes. “It reminds us that soldiers came from everywhere — they were students that you might have passed in the hallway.”

Reid worked under the supervision of Crista Bradley, University Records & Information Management Archivist at the Dr. John Archer Library and Archives to research some of the people whose names appear on the Regina College Second World War scroll.  “People engage with history in a more meaningful way when they can make a tangible connection to it,” Bradley says. “When we can see that it’s people like us who left their homes, families, jobs and put everything on pause to serve our country and the people in it, I think it resonates. It’s a powerful way to help ensure people don’t forget the sacrifices made.” 

Bev Pacholik and Up the Johns! Association President Antoine Piard with Pacholik's father's Regina Rifles Regiment tunic. Photo courtesty of Bev Pacholik.
Bev Pacholik and Up the Johns! Association President Antoine Piard with Pacholik's father's Regina Rifles Regiment tunic. Photo courtesty of Bev Pacholik.

Bev Pacholik attended the unveiling of the maquette and plaque at the College Avenue Campus. It was particularly poignant for her, as her father was one of the Regina Rifles who stormed Juno Beach on D-Day. She brought his RRR tunic with her, which she also took to France when she attended the 80th and 82nd anniversary celebrations there. “(Bringing his tunic) was one way that my dad could be among the people who continue to show such gratitude to the Rifles,” Pacholik says. “Children and adults would approach me to admire, hold and sometimes try it on. Dad would have loved that! It started many heartwarming conversations just as it has here in Regina. My dad would be humbled, honoured and very proud of this wonderful legacy of remembrance. Their spirit lives on.” 

Banner image (l-r): The Honorable Ralph Goodale BA’71, LLD’26; Jennifer Murray BA’03, Med’05, MAdmin’22, past URAA president; Brett Waytuck, Dean, University Libraries and Archives; Bernadette McIntyre, SOM, BAdmin’80, BA’81; Dr. Ellyn Lyle, Provost and Vice-President (Academic); Retired Lieutenant-Colonel Ed Staniowski; Lieutenant-Colonel Kevin Barry, MMM, CD, Commanding Officer, Royal Regina Rifles. Photography: Trevor Hopkin, University of Regina Photography
WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 10400 [post_author] => 20 [post_date] => 2026-10-16 11:46:47 [post_date_gmt] => 2026-10-16 17:46:47 [post_content] =>

It's National Library Month (and at press time, Saskatchewan Library Week), an opportunity to celebrate libraries and everything they make possible. It's a perfect time to visit your local branch, pick up some fall reading material - and, as happy coincidence would have it, welcome alum Beth Côté BA'00 to her new role as of CEO of the Regina Public Library!

Beth comes to the job with more than 16 years of public library experience in Saskatchewan, most recently as Director of Public Services at the Saskatoon Public Library. Beth made some time in advance of her first week on the job to chat with Degrees about the role of libraries in building community, the pleasures of lifelong learning, and what she's looking forward to as she returns to the library system that first stoked her love for libraries when she was a kid growing up in Regina.

What do you think public libraries do for communities?

Public libraries are a place where anyone is welcome to go. You don't need to buy anything. You don't need to belong to any specific club or group or have a membership. Anyone can go there to access information, or just spend their time in pursuit of whatever interest they have. I don't think there are a lot of places where it's okay to go by yourself, meet somebody there, and then spend all day reading: each of you in your own pursuits, but together.

I often see people in public libraries from different backgrounds, doing different types of things, in a space together. It's very meaningful for strengthening that fabric of our community.

What drew you personally to work in libraries?

One of the important things that I feel my years at U of R gave me is  an opportunity to try many different disciplines - math to business classes, to Latin, to theatre courses. I was also able to do an exchange in Northern England, and all of that started to show me what was possible. I kind of got bitten by the bug of lifelong learning - like, what if we all just kept learning?

As time went on, I did a master's in English and creative writing at Concordia University in Montréal. And when I was finished, I realized that my passion was to move into an area where everyone was welcome to learn about whatever they were interested in at any given time, free of charge. I was fortunate to have a fellow graduate who said they were thinking about library school. And it just snapped; I thought, What do you mean? Is that something you can do? Library studies married a lot of those passions for community building, placemaking, and my interest in lifelong learning and intellectual freedom.

It seems like a great job for a person who has a really broad interest base - and an amazing thing for a person who likes to go down rabbit holes. 

It's true. Public libraries are often that first place where a child seeks their own interests outside of what an adult has shown them: not just what's on their parent's shelves, or something that a teacher recommends. Those are also great ways for kids to find their interests, but in a public library, children are the customers themselves.

I'm not sure I would have pursued all the different interests that I have in my lifetime if I didn't have that free access to taking a deep dive into various topics through libraries, because you may not even know what you're looking for until you start looking. But the library has it all there.

In what ways do you think that the roles of public libraries and librarians have changed?

It depends on where you put the frame. Public libraries are about access to information. They're about community building. They are welcoming spaces. Public libraries are champions of intellectual freedom and providing community environments. What ends up changing is that we face different economic realities, changing information landscapes, and technological changes. There are also safety and security issues in public places in general, the types of pressures that come from outside of public libraries, and the shifting needs of the community.

We have to look at how we provide those common services around access to information. We know things change  but the core of what we do stays the same. The public library must reflect its community. We always have to be reevaluating what it is that the community needs, making sure that we're paying attention, hearing what it is that the people of Regina want from their library and making sure we respond to those things while keeping our core values in place.

What do you wish more people knew about public libraries? 

Today's library is a vibrant, modern service that offers books and more. As busy adults we can start to think nostalgically about the library as a thing of the past, and that they're no longer relevant. But people need that welcoming community space, the books, and the free programming at different times in their lives: when they have children, later in life after they've retired... Even if we're not necessarily using the library right now, we can think about the times when we have used the library and when we might need it again, because it's always there for us.

It's a nice full circle that you're now leading the library you used to visit as a child. 

I know. I'm pretty excited about this new position and getting to meet the RPL team that has been doing all the good work at RPL, getting to understand their goals and what they've been working on, and then really getting to know the community in Regina again. I haven't lived in Regina for a couple of decades and I'm looking forward to reacquainting myself with the community, getting to know the people who call Regina home, what their wants and needs are, what they're looking for in their library, and really getting a sense of what the public library means, or could mean, to the people of Regina. It's particularly exciting for me to be able to return to the library system that taught me what a public library is; the one that actually built that passion for me.

This interview was condensed for length and clarity.

Photography: Trevor Hopkin, University of Regina Photography

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