For Freedom Museum is pleased to be a partner in the project funded by Interreg NWE Retracing the Footsteps: A Transnational Journey of Canadian Liberation in WWII (REFOOT). As part of this project, a 'Canadian Trail' will be built through France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
The Canadian track is a transnational track that follows the footsteps of Canadian soldiers who liberated Europe during World War II. These Canadian soldiers played an important and overlooked role in the liberation of Northwestern Europe at the end of World War II. The Canadian Path follows in their footsteps and connects the locations and stories about this historic period so that visitors can learn more about their important contribution in a new, sustainable way.
The path is part of the Liberation Route Europe, a certified Council of Europe cultural route that connects people, places, and events to mark Europe's liberation from occupation during the Second World War and to reflect on the long-term consequences and history of the war through a multi-national, multi-perspective approach. With hundreds of locations and stories in nine European countries, the route connects the most important regions along the Allied advance in 1943-1945. The LRE is an initiative of the LRefoundation.
The project started in 2023 when the LRE Foundation received funding from Interreg NWE to carry out the 18-month project. The hiking trail project aims to promote sustainable tourism and preserve European historical memory while contributing to the development of cultural understanding and memory in the North Western Europe region. Upon completion of the project, the path will form a tangible link between monuments related to the involvement of Canadian forces in Europe during the Second World War. The project connects regions in different countries that were liberated by Canadian forces and offers a multi-faceted approach to remembering our shared European history.
To see the latest progress of the REFOOT project, visit: https://www.nweurope.eu/
Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) is a European territorial cooperation program that aims to support balanced development across the region, make all regions more resilient and contribute to better quality of life and well-being for all NWE citizens. Since the Industrial Revolution, the NWE region has been at the forefront of Europe's industrialization and economic development. However, this century of growth has come at the expense of the environment, people and territorial inequalities. To address these challenges, the funding program supports the NWE regions in leading sustainable and balanced development and in reducing inequalities. Using its expertise in transnational cooperation, the 2021-2027 programme aims to jointly “promote a green, smart and just transition for all NWE areas with the aim of supporting balanced development and making all regions more resilient”.
