CDDHS/DCMA Battlefields Tour 2013

The Europe trip group cleared customs in record time and is on the way home to Shelburne. They are estimating their arrival time at the school to be 545 pm. The pickup will be in the back parking lot. 

The Europe trip group are scheduled to land at 3:21 pm. They have to pick up their luggage and clear customs and then travel by bus back to CDDHS. At this time an arrival at the school is estimated to be 5-6pm depending on customs and traffic in Toronto. When more information becomes available the webpage will be updated.

The group is returning just before "interesting" weather arrives this evening. The special weather statement (which includes all of Dufferin and Wellington Counties) can be read at: http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/warnings/SWS_bulletins_e.html?prov=on

The group has departed London this morning on British Airway Flight 093. Follow their progress here.

Arrival time in Toronto is scheduled for 3:13 pm Tuesday afternoon.

Well, after a wonderful 11 day tour of the European Battlefields with 34 students and 11 outstanding adult guests & chaperones...we were stranded by 'fogmaggedon' in northern Europe! The fog experience was the worst in 25 years and closed down KLM and overwhelmed BA at Schiphol Airport and ultimately, Heathrow. 
 

All told, our 36 minute flight Amsterdam to London was 6 1/2 hours and all our connections to Toronto had long-since been cancelled. We are snug in at the Holiday Inn now until Tuesday. Kids have been terrific throughout and are turning their 'adventure' into a 'close encounter of a third kind' here in London until we can get a flight out Tuesday afternoon. Tour company has been outstanding!

Home for Tuesday tea-time...unless there's a volcanic event in Iceland.

Mr. Orford

(British Airways flight 093 British Airways Flight Tracker)

Heathrow flights return to normal after fog delays
 

Services at Heathrow and London City airports are returning to normal after fog forced the cancellation of flights in and out of London for two days. A total of 120 departures and 104 arrivals have been cancelled at west London's Heathrow since Sunday.

But the fog has lifted and there are no more restrictions at the airport. A spokesman for Heathrow, which deals with an average of 1,300 flights a day, said: "The fog has started to clear and there are now no restrictions on flying. There are currently no delays to flights but we advise passengers to check with their airlines before travelling."

At Heathrow on Sunday, some airlines had rebooked passengers on other flights, while others had arranged for accommodation. European flight management agency Eurocontrol was reporting severe delays because of the weather across Europe on Sunday - especially at airports in Amsterdam, Brussels, Vienna, Oslo, Paris and Zurich.

 

 

The group reports that the Holiday Inn staff are treating them very well and they are enjoying their stay.

 

Monday the group is heading into Uxbridge to go shopping at a local mall. As all of their luggage remains at Heathrow some basic supplies for the next 2 days are needed. Then the group is going to catch a movie and relax.
 

Here's a picture of the hotel

 

The group is scheduled to leave Heathrow on British Airways flight # 0093 at 1215 pm London time with an arrival time in Toronto of 315 pm. Arrangements have been made with the bus company for a Tuesday Toronto pickup and delivery to the school.

Monday the group will be doing some shopping as all their checked baggage is still at Heathrow and will remain checked in.

 

To get more information on British Airways flights click here
 

To see what Flight Tracker looks like click here
 

 

 

Thousands of passengers are facing disruption as dense fog is tonight forcing the cancellation of flights in and out of London .  BBC News

Dense fog is set to spread overnight according to the UK Met Office, which has issued a series of severe weather warnings of worsening conditions.

Heathrow Airport and London City Airport in the Docklands have been affected throughout the day and Gatwick Airport has tonight been experiencing delays to both arrivals and departures.

Heathrow Airport said 132 flights, including 50 British Airways flights, have been cancelled due to heavy fog.

London City Airport suspended around 45 flights and delayed or diverted others due to "low visibility" this afternoon.

A Met Office severe weather warning issued tonight stated: “The public should be aware that areas of dense fog are likely to become more extensive across parts of London, southeast and eastern England this evening.”

The warning is valid until 10am on Monday morning.

A statement from Heathrow Airport said: "We are aware of 74 departing flights that have been cancelled by airlines. Some delays to flights are also occurring so we advise passengers to check with their airlines before travelling."

A total of 58 incoming flights were cancelled.

Heathrow warned disruptions could continue late into the night. Some airlines were re-booking passengers on other flights, while others are arranging for accommodation.

Some domestic passengers are being taken to their destinations by coaches, the airport said.

Heathrow Airport is open, but air traffic controllers have slowed the rate at which aircraft can land.

Drivers are warned that conditions are likely to be "difficult" and motorists have been advised to take extra care.

A weather warning for dense fog has also been issued for Yorkshire and Humberside, the East and West Midlands, the East of England and the South East.



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Mr. Orford advises it is very difficult for the staff or students to call out from London. If you want to talk to someone on the trip Mr. Orford encourages you to call the hotel directly. London is 5 hours ahead of Shelburne time zone wise. Check local time in London.

 

LONDON - HEATHROW HOLIDAY INN M4,JCT.4
SIPSON ROAD LONDON , UB7 OJU England
Hotel Front Desk: 44-0871-9429095 Hotel Fax: 44-0208-8978659 

 

 

Due to flight availability the tour group is currently scheduled to fly out Tuesday from London. The group is staying at the Holiday Inn Heathrow 

As more information becomes available it will be posted on the website.

The Battlefields Tour Group is staying overnight (Sunday) at the Airport Holiday Inn (Heathrow) which British Airways is paying for. Arrangements are being worked on for a flight to Toronto on Monday. As soon as flight details are known they will be posted on the website.

The Battlefields tour group's flight from Amsterdam just departed. The flight, British Airways 429, is scheduled to arrive in Heathrow (London, England) at 4pm London time. As soon as there is more information about the flight from London to Toronto the website will be updated.

After a wonderful few days in Amsterdam the group is delayed due to fog from leaving Amsterdam. They hope to leave later today but their arrival time in Toronto is unknown at this time and may even be a Monday arrival.

Check back for more information as we hear from the Battlefields tour group.

 

Here is a picture from the group's visit to Vimy Ridge

  

 Bény-sur-Mer - Students and Staff at Canada House

 

 

Breakfast at the hotel
6:30am – Check out of the Churchill Hotel and depart for Ypres.
10:30am – Guided Tour of Beaumont Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Park
Of the five memorials established in France and Belgium in memory of major actions fought by the 1st Battalion of the Newfoundland Regiment, the largest is the thirty hectare site at Beaumont-Hamel, nine kilometres north of the town of Albert. This site commemorates
all Newfoundlanders who fought in the Great War, particularly those who have no known grave.

12:30pm - Lunch at the Ocean Villas Tea Rooms
Including talk and tour of the trenches by Avril Williams
MENU: Buffet Lunch with selections of quiche, cold meats & salads. Tea and Coffee included

4:00pm – Guided tour of Vimy Ridge Canadian Memorial
Canada's most impressive tribute overseas to those Canadians who fought and gave their lives in the First World War is the majestic and inspiring Canadian National Vimy Memorial which overlooks the Douai Plain. The Memorial does more than mark the site of the engagement that Canadians were to remember with more pride than any other operation of the First World War. It stands as a tribute to all who served their country in battle in that four-year struggle and particularly to those who gave their lives.
  

Transfer to Ypres
7:00pm – Approximate time of arrival at your hotel
Check-in to the Ypres Centrum Hotel

8:00pm – Menin Gate Last Port Ceremony
Every night at 8.00pm a moving ceremony takes place under the Menin Gate in Ypres. For a few moments the noise of traffic ceases and a stillness descends over the memorial. At exactly 8:00pm up to six members of the regular buglers from the local volunteer Fire Brigade step into the roadway under the memorial arch. They play Last Post, followed by a short silence and then play Reveille. Visiting groups may lay a wreath and say a few words. The Last Post Ceremony has become part of the daily life in Ypres and the local people are proud of this simple but moving tribute to the courage and self-sacrifice of those who fell in defence of their town.

  

8:30pm – Dinner at your hotel
MENU – Vegetable Soup, Chicken with French fries and ice cream for dessert
Overnight at the Novotel Ypres Centrum

 A school and a Canadian museum revive history 

At Juno Beach Center Wednesday November 16th 2011 at 11:30 a.m.
Ceremony for Centre Dufferin District High School and the Dufferin County Museum from Shelburne, Ontario

The 34 secondary school students from Centre Dufferin District High School in Shelburne, Ontario are between the ages of 16 and 18 years old. They have studied the Second World War and throughout their research found soldiers from their area who were killed in combat, served and died after returning home, and those who are still living today. In a partnership with their school and their local museum, they studied the story of about 40 soldiers. They have had an opportunity to get to know those who are still alive, and through interviews and receptions, they have truly established friendships, which makes the trip the climax of their memorable work and their inter-generational relations that have been taking place for more than a year.

Furthermore, these students have collected enough funds to buy 41 commemorative bricks. When they visit on November 16th, the students will organize a ceremony to unveil the bricks at 11:30 am. These students will also be accompanied by a Canadian veteran who recently served in Afghanistan and is a current Reservist in the Canadian Forces. Many French dignitaries will be present at the ceremony, which will be presented in English, except for the speech from the mayor of Courseulles-sur-Mer. Mr. Remy Simon.

Ceremony Program: 11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Welcome to the Juno Beach Centre reception, near the kiosks, by Nathalie Worthington director of the Juno Beach Centre.
Speech by Mr. Remy Simon, first deputy Mayor of Courseulles-sur-mer.
Speech by Mr. Neil Orford, head of the Social Science department of Centre Dufferin District High School.
The dedication of 41 bricks and the laying of the wreaths.
National Anthem of France and the National Anthem of Canada sung by Stephanie W.
Closing ceremony by Corporal Wayne Strudwick, current reservist

 

 

 

 

Breakfast at the hotel

9:00am - Visit to Mont-Saint-Michel
Discover Mont-Saint-Michel and its abbey on the border between Normandy and Brittany, one of the first sites to obtain UNESCO World Heritage listing. Be amazed by the prodigious accomplishments of medieval architecture, by the forces of nature, and the ever-changing light.
Lunch on your own
2:00pm – Saint Malo, a walled English Channel port city in Brittany.
Return to your hotel
7:30pm – Dinner at l’Assiette Normandie

MENU: Cream of Vegetable Soup, Roasted Pork with roasted potatoes, and for dessert; Roaster Apple with ice cream
Overnight at the Churchill Hotel in Bayeux

Saturday's visit to the Churchill War Rooms and Museum
 

 

Group at War Memorial

 

Students at a sand lecture at Ohama Beach

Breakfast at the hotel
8:00am – Full day Guided Tour
8:00am – 9:00am - Visit to Abbaye d’Ardenne and Mesnil Patry
Visit the Abbaye which was used by the Germans as an observation post during WWII. Mesnil Patry is the site of the Canadian land forces’ last big operation in Normandy.
10:00am – Juno Beach Centre for Tour & Reconnaissance for students to prepare for Ceremony
Lunch on your own in Arromanches
12:30pm – Visit the Guns at Longues-sur-mer
The Germans had built on cliffs a defensive component of the Atlantic Wall, a massive four large gun battery.
2:00pm – Continue with Normandy Tour
German Cemetery La Cambe
This is a German was cemetery in Lower Normandy and serves as a stark contrast to the Allied equivalents. 21,202 German soldiers are buried here making it the largest of its kind in France.
Omaha Beach
It is on this beach that one of most historical accounts of perseverance, tragedy, and torture played out. It was at Omaha Beach, on June 6, 1944, that one of the deadliest battles during D-Day occurred. As American soldiers moved to and from the shore as effortless as the tide, a flawless plan of victory was no match for their tragic course of destiny.
Return to Bayeux at approximately 5:00pm.
Rest of the evening (including dinner) on your own
Overnight at the Churchill Hotel in Bayeux

 Breakfast at your hotel
8:00am – check out of your hotel and depart for Dover
10:00am - arrive in Dover for Tour of Dover Castle and Wartime Tunnels
Dover Castle was founded in the 12th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history. It is the largest castle in England. For over 200 years the tunnels have provided shelter, safety and secrecy to those defending our shores. Delve deeper into the history of the tunnels, from Napoleonic times to the Cold War in this new exhibition.
11:35am – depart for Dover Ferry Port
11:55am – Check-in for transfer from Dover to Calais
12:55pm – Ferry departure
Crossing with P&O Ferries
Lunch (on your own) can be bought on the ferry while crossing the Channel
3:25pm – Arrival in Calais and depart for Bayeux
8:00pm – Approximate time of arrival in Bayeux
Check in to the Churchill Hotel, Normandy, France

8:30pm – Dinner at l’Assiette Normande

MENU: Salad & Camembert Toasts, Chicken with Sauce Pommeau & Bararois aux Fruits Rouges for dessert
Overnight at Churchill Hotel in Bayeux (see picture below)

The students at Buckingham Palace in London, England

 

 Trustee Lynn Topping and her husband Ken enjoying a walk in London England

Saturday Weather Forecast Overcast in the morning, then mostly cloudy. High of 16°C. Winds from the SSE at 10 km/h.
 

Saturday's Schedule

Breakfast at the hotel
9:50am & 10:30am - Churchill War Rooms (tour to be split into 2 groups - max of 23 per group)
The Cabinet War Rooms is an underground complex that served as a British government command centre throughout the Second World War. Located beneath the Treasury building in the Whitehall are of Westminster, the facilities became operational in 1939 and were in constant use until their abandonment in August 1945, after the surrender of Japan.

Lunch on your own
Rest of the afternoon and evening at your leisure
Possible visit or attractions to visit - Harrods or Oxford Street for shopping, National Gallery, British Museum, Imperial Was Room, Globe Theatre.
Dinner on your own
7:30pm - West End – Dominion Theatre
See “We Will Rock You”; the musical based on songs by Queen at the Dominion Theatre. The musical opened May 14, 2002 and instantly became an audience favorite. It has become the longest-running musical at the Dominion Theatre and has won over a dozen awards.

Overnight in London

Today the Battlefields Tour arrived in London, England at about 6:30 am. Here are their planned activities for Friday.
 

9:00am - Guided Tour of London with Blue Badge
Experience a guided tour of London which will include famous landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.
Meeting location: Natural History Museum; Cromwell Road
See the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. This is both the office and London residence of Her Majesty the Queen. It is one of the few working royal palaces remaining in the world today, patrolled by the famously regimented Queen's Guard.
Your tour ends at Buckingham Palace and from there you will walk to Westminster Abbey
11:00am – Guided Tour of Westminster Abbey
The interior is a veritable museum of English history. Among many highlights are the medieval coronation throne; Poet's Corner with its memorials to William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and other giants of literature; and the tombs of Queen Elizabeth I, "Bloody" Queen Mary, explorer David Livingstone and naturalist Charles Darwin.
Your coach will pick you up at the end of your tour and take you to lunch.

12:30 noon – Lunch at Azzurro
MENU: Chicken Penne & Tomato with Profiteroles for dessert
As a group, walk the 5 minutes to the London Eye
2:00pm – Arrival time at the London Eye for your 2:30pm “flight”.
The London Eye is the world's biggest Ferris wheel and one of the most popular attractions in the UK. A ride will give an amazing 360° view over London.
Your coach will pick you up here and take you to the Tower of London
4:00pm – Guided Tour of the Tower of London
The Tower of London is a Unesco World Heritage Site. In the past, the tower functioned as a prison, the royal residence and as a fortress.
Nowadays, the tower is still in royal possession and guided tours are available to give pupils an insight into its dark history.
6:00pm – Check in to the Holiday Inn Bloomsbury

7:30pm – Dinner confirmed at the Hotel
MENU: Caesar Salad, Fish & Chips with green peas and tartar sauce & Lemon Meringue Pie for dessert
Overnight in at Holiday Inn Bloomsbury
 

The Battlefields Tour left Shelburne Ontario this afternoon and flew out of Toronto shortly after 6 p.m.

Participants will be wearing distinctive tour gear that celebrates CDDHS and the tour locations.

  

Today the Battlefields Tour 2011 departed. CDDHS is honoured to have Cpl. Wayne Strudwick who has served in Afghanistan accompanying the 34 students and  4 staff, Mr. Orford, Mr. Guchardi, Mr. Bradford and Ms Lloyd. Also on the trip are Ms. Codd, Ms. Gabel, and Mr. Funston.
 

 

CDDHS is also honoured to have trustee Lynn Topping, her husband Ken Topping and Donna Henderson on the tour. 

 

 

Cérémonie de l’école secondaire Centre Dufferin High School et du musée Dufferin County Museum, Shelburne, Ontario (sud de l’Ontario près des Grands Lacs)

Les 34 élèves de l’école secondaire Centre Dufferin High School de Shelburne, Ontario, ont entre 16 et 18 ans. Ils ont étudié l’histoire de la Seconde Guerre mondiale à travers des recherches portant sur des soldats de leurs environs tués aux combats, ceux qui ont servi et sont décédés depuis et ceux encore de ce monde. Dans le cadre d’un partenariat entre leur école et leur musée local, ils ont étudié l’histoire d’une quarantaine de soldats. Ils ont appris à connaître ceux qui sont toujours en vie, et au travers d’interviews, de repas-rencontres, ils ont réellement établi un lien d’amitié réciproque, ce qui fait de ce voyage un véritable point culminant d’un travail de mémoire et de lien inter-générationnel entrepris il y a plus d’un an.

De plus ces élèves ont collecté les fonds pour acheter 41 briques commémoratives. Lors de leur visite le 16 novembre prochain, les élèves organiseront une cérémonie de dévoilement des briques à 11h30. Ces élèves seront aussi accompagnés d’un vétéran canadien qui a servi en Afghanistan récemment et es actuellement réserviste dans les forces canadiennes. La cérémonie se déroulera en présence de quelques personnalités françaises, mais se déroulera en anglais sauf l’accueil et le discours du premier maire adjoint de Courseulles-sur-Mer, M. Rémy Simon.


Programme de la cérémonie 11h30 à 12h00

Accueil au Centre Juno Beach, près des kiosques, par Nathalie Worthington, Directrice du Centre Juno Beach

Discours de Monsieur Rémy Simon, Premier Maire adjoint de Courseulles-sur-Mer

Discours de Monsieur Neil Orford, directeur du département des sciences sociales du Lycée Centre Dufferin

Dévoilement des 41 Briques

Dépot de Gerbe

Hymne National de France et Hymne National du Canada, chantés par Stephanie W.,

Mot de conclusion par le caporal Wayne Strudwick, actuellement réserviste dans les forces canadiennes


En cas de pluie, la cérémonie se déroulera dans la Salle Polyvalente du Centre.    Ceremony in PDF
 

You are allowed one piece of hand baggage plus a laptop or handbag.
A 23kg (51lbs) maximum bag weight applies and you must be able to lift the bag into the overhead lockers in the aircraft cabin unaided. 
• Your main piece of hand baggage is up to the dimensions 56cm x 45cm x 25cm (22in x 18in x 10in), including the handle, pockets and wheels.
• Your bag must fit into the bag gauge, available at the check-in area.
• Your laptop or handbag is up to the dimensions 45cm x 36cm x 20cm (18in x 14in x 8in), including the handle and pockets.
• Your laptop or handbag must fit under the seat in front of you.
Your maximum number of hand baggage items

Baggage Essential Info from British Airways

Liquids in hand baggage

 

 

THE LAST UPDATE BEFORE WE FLY TO EUROPE!!

 

Well, it's almost here....departure date is this Thursday, November 10

 

Please ensure the following before you leave your house on Thursday:

 

- read over the Travel Tips ONE MORE TIME

- guarantee that you have NOT packed your money or passport in your checked-luggage

- break-in that new pair of shoes

- leave behind all unnecessary valuables / ID

- locate all your script / data files for your Juno Beach presentation

- be at Portable 107 for 8:30 with all of your luggage so we can itemize everything and do a last minute passport check

- arrive with all the final assignments for your teachers completed before midterm marks are dues!

- pre-arrange with your family how you will be picked-up on Sunday, November 20th - it will be late and cold ...so organize this now to save waiting outside CDDHS!

 

Call me with any last minute questions.... we are getting close to the last minute!!

 

Well done everyone and get ready for the trip of a lifetime!

Neil H. Orford

Head, Canada & World Studies Dept.

Centre Dufferin DHS,

150 Fourth Avenue

Shelburne, Ontario

LON 1S1

519-925-3834

 

 

 

Order of Commemoration - Juno Beach Centre – November 16, 2011 

 

Veterans of North Dufferin County, Ontario, Canada

Honoured Veteran	Presenter
Gunner Frank RJ Jackson – 16th Bgde CEF WW1 RSM J. Addison Corbett – Black Watch (RHR) Pte. Robert G. Anderson – Cdn Mounted Rifles LC  D. E Ferris – Central Ontario Regiment L/Cpl   Tuck Berry  -  RCE Pte. Leonard J. Guchardi – RCA Pte. Joseph A. Guchardi – RCAMC Pte. Michael Brunner – Black Watch (RHR) L. Cpl L.A. Jordan – Cdn Provost Corps WOI George F. Curtis – Perth Regiment Trpr. Elvin J. Tebby – Ontario Regiment Pte. Harold Whitten – Cdn Scottish Regiment Pte. Harry S. Dickson – Cdn Infantry Pte. G. Harman Earle – Toronto Irish Regiment Pte. William Bulnes – S.D & G. Highlanders Cpl. William Hooker – BEF  - 8th Army LCpl. Donald S. Kohl – 437 Transport Sqn RCAF Sgt William E. Snell – RCAF Sgt. R. J. Kenneth Murphy – RCAF Cpl. Ted Swica – RAF F/O W. A. Cauthers – 407 Sqn RCAF LAC  J.A. Cauthers – RCAF F/O Reginald E.F. Pacey – RCAF F/L  John V. Swan – RCAF (WAG) Pte. Harvey W. Brown – 1st Sherbrooke Fusiliers Cpl. Edward W. Little – RCAMC Pte. Albert B. Henderson – RCAMC Pte. Joseph J. McCarroll – R.C. Armed Services Corps Pte. Edward Netzke – Cdn Ordinance Corps Sglm. Lloyd Exelby – 1st Cdn Wireless Corps Cpl. Raymond Newton – RCAF Violet Swift – WREN Piet Bouwhuis – Dutch Resistance Sgt MJR.  James E. Shacklady – Royal Cdn Dragoons MST Wilfred Shacklady -  RCAF (WAG) Lt (N/S)  Lily Shacklady – RCAMC Cpl. Wayne A Strudwick – Lorne Scots TPT JTF 1 (Afghanistan)	Joe P Rachel P Brittany F Mickenzie G Carly P Mr. Leonard Guchardi Mr. Leonard Guchardi Stefani H Nicholas S Mitchell T Christen E Cole V Brianna B Emma A Jillian S Tasha P Corah Lynn H Connor E Daniel C Paul K Todd G Todd G Lindsay M Colton C Emily F Alexandria E Stephanie W Alexandra H Ciara M Sarah C Jacob N JD H Lucas W Kailey H Genevieve P Keelan H Alexis L
Also Honoured:  Gunner W.E. Strudwick -  RCA Pte. Eldon Henderson – Signal Corps Infantry Pte. Samuel Stouffer – 2nd Cdn Div Fort Garry Horse F/S – Thomas R. M. Cattle - RCAF	Cpl. Wayne Strudwick Ms. Donna Henderson Carly P Sarah C

 Printable copy of Commemoration Ceremony