Opening of the new exhibition “My Childhood, 1939–1945” : Juno Beach Centre

Opening of the new exhibition “My Childhood, 1939–1945” Juno Beach Centre, Sustainable Development | February 11, 2026 The Juno Beach Centre Opens Its New Exhibition “My Childhood, 1939–1945” On February 7, the Juno Beach Centre opened its new temporary exhibition, My Childhood, 1939–1945. On February 10, partners who contributed to its development and who will help promote it to a wide audience were invited to discover the exhibition. After welcoming remarks and words of thanks from Nathalie Worthington, Director of the Juno Beach Centre, Hélène Cavillon, Collections Manager, guided guests through the different sections of the exhibition before everyone gathered to share a friendly reception. Presentation of the exhibition by Hélène Cavillon An Enriched Version Ten Years Later My Childhood, 1939–1945 is the 2.0 version of the exhibition “Grandma, What Was It Like During the War?”, presented at the Juno Beach Centre from 2014 to 2016. More than ten years later, the team chose to revisit this powerful theme, enriching it with new perspectives, new artifacts, archival materials, testimonies, and the creation of a timeline exploring events in both France and Canada. The exhibition was curated by Marie-Eve Vaillancourt, Head of Exhibitions and Education Projects at the Juno Beach Centre Association (Canada). She collaborated with: Emmanuel Thiébot, Director of the Memorial for Civilians in Wartime in Falaise (France), Cynthia Comacchio, Professor Emerita of History at Wilfrid Laurier University (Canada). A Completely Renewed Design and a Team Effort Michel Cousin, the Juno Beach Centre’s historical exhibition designer, and Frédérick Turgis, graphic designer and illustrator, took on a remarkable challenge: recycling modules from the 2014 exhibition while integrating enriched content to create a fully renewed scenographic and graphic environment, offering visitors an entirely new experience. This marks the third eco-designed temporary exhibition produced by the Juno Beach Centre. Graphic designer Frédérick Turgis and exhibition designer Michel Cousin They collaborated with several professionals in the field. For installation, they were supported by: Yves Maquaire, carpenter, assisted by Eric, Sébastien Ledoux, Maintenance Manager at the Juno Beach Centre. For the exhibition’s sound design, the Centre relied on its partner Twelve Solutions (Yuri, Vincent and Jeremy), who support the technological components of many museum projects. Hélène Cavillon, Collections Manager, coordinated the project, conducted documentary and iconographic research, and actively participated in the installation. Regarding the collections on display, the Centre extends its thanks to: Emmanuel Thiébot and his association Histoire à la Une, the Leduc-Consul family, Jean-Philippe Mathieu, as well as donors from previous years, notably Line Péron and Mr. Folliot. Emmanuel Thiébot A Tribute to the Children of 1939–1945 This exhibition seeks to answer the following questions: If I had been a child during the war, what would my daily life have looked like? What were Canadian families doing while the war was raging here? Who exactly did Canadian soldiers liberate in Normandy — and what were they liberated from? In her speech, Nathalie Worthington concluded with these words: “A thought for Madeleine, Michel, Paule, Bernadette, Eliane, and all the children of 1939–45, from Juno and beyond. The memories of their childhood shaped ours, gave us a passion for collections and history, and inspired our gratitude toward the Canadian Liberators. They ultimately contributed to the exhibition that visitors to the Juno Beach Centre will discover in 2026.” Nathalie Worthington Dispatches from Juno shares all the news, events, and stories from the Juno Beach Centre in France and Canada. Interested in contributing a story to the blog? Email the editor at jbca@junobeach.org. Share this article: Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Current ye@r * Leave this field empty