The Royal Regina Rifles (RRR) reserve infantry regiment plans to attend the 80th-anniversary celebrations of the D-Day invasion in France next June and is asking municipalities and police boards for financial support.
Ed Staniowski, retired lieutenant colonel and a Moose Jaw-born native, gave a presentation on behalf of the non-profit charity RRR Trust Fund to the Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners during its recent meeting about the 2024 Tour of Honours dubbed “Operation CALVADOS.”
The purpose of Operation CALVADOS is to honour and perpetuate the memories, events and legacy of those men from Saskatchewan who fought and sacrificed much during two World Wars. Meanwhile, calvados is an apple brandy local to Normandy.
Staniowski also spoke about the regiment’s history since 1905.
The trust fund expects the trip to cost roughly $500,000, which includes:
- About $100,000 for 15 serving members’ expenses, such as transportation, accommodations and meals
- Roughly $50,000 for a regimental dinner with Colonel-in-Chief Princess Anne
- Approximately $250,000 for an eight-foot-tall bronze rifleman statue, including its sculpting, transporting to France, mounting and unveiling at Courselles-sur-Mer, where the Rifles land; they were one of the first Canadian units to hit Juno Beach on June 6, 1944
- About $50,000 for other expenses like hosting, public relations, communications, venue rentals and extra vehicles
The charity wants the police board and City of Moose Jaw to support this project with a donation between $10,000 and $20,000, Staniowski said. The trust fund has already received several donations from individuals and companies like Brandt Industries; if anyone gives $20,000, they will receive a smaller version of the rifleman statue.
The actual statue weighs 450 kilograms (1,000 pounds) and was made in Cochrane, Alta. Once completed, it will tour Saskatchewan before making its way to Trenton, Ont., where the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) will transport it to Caen, France, and unveiled on June 5, 2024.
“In the case of the police services here in Moose Jaw, the ask is we would love to have someone from the police services get dispensation to wear his or her uniform when they come over and be part of the official party and take in the 10-day tour,” he continued.
“And they would be front and centre (at) all the events … .”
Staniowski then confirmed that the police service’s Staff Sgt. Chad Scheske — a former Regina Rifle — would be attending the trip. He encouraged the police service to consider sending another member.
The retired lieutenant colonel told the board members that he would give them his presentation so they could show it to other people interested in supporting the trip. If people or businesses wanted to donate, they could email rrrtrustfund@gmail.com and will receive a tax receipt.
Staniowski added that a historian from the University of Regina history department would accompany the group overseas and create a documentary from their trip.
Neither the police board nor MJPS senior leadership indicated whether they would donate money to the trip. Meanwhile, such a request has not yet come to city council.
The next police board meeting is Thursday, Dec. 14.
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