On 26 July, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee inscribed “The D-Day Landing Beaches, Normandy, 1944” on its World Heritage List. Among the recognised sites is Juno Beach, where Canadian troops landed on 6 June 1944 and where the Juno Beach Centre now stands — Canada’s only Second World War museum in Europe. Proasur took part in the technical development and production of one of its most recent rooms, “Faces of Canada Today”.
International recognition for the D-Day Landing Beaches
The inscription, approved during the Committee’s meeting in Busan, South Korea, recognises the outstanding universal value of the five D-Day landing beaches — Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword — together with Pointe du Hoc, as a cultural landscape associated with one of the most defining episodes of the 20th century. More than 1,000 people gathered in Courseulles-sur-Mer, at the Juno Beach Centre itself, to celebrate the announcement.
The "Faces of Canada Today" room at the Juno Beach Centre
Opened in February 2024 to coincide with the 80th anniversary of D-Day, this room explores the evolution of Canadian society from 1945 to today: the arrival of the so-called “war brides”, Canada’s participation in UN peace missions, Indigenous identities and the civic values that define the country. The route culminates in a bright space presided over by an installation of poppies suspended from the ceiling, a symbol of remembrance and commemoration.
Proasur's technical contribution at Juno Beach Centre
Based on a conceptual design by Haley Sharpe Design, Proasur technically developed, produced and installed the exhibition furniture, graphics and lighting for the room. The main challenge was achieving minimal tolerances on large-format panels through pre-assembly, as well as ensuring that the printed materials aligned precisely with each construction.
Among the standout elements developed by Proasur is the suspended poppy sculpture — whose fixing system, ceiling anchoring and cabling were resolved entirely in-house — and the display cases, for which everything was specified, from the type of glass to the access system and solar filter. The audiovisual elements were also integrated within the furniture itself, using real hardware samples to generate 3D integration models.
The entire project was carried out over a three-month period, with monthly risk monitoring that ensured the room was delivered on time, while also coordinating the various subcontractors on site.
A project that lives on
This recognition comes at a particularly significant moment for the Juno Beach Centre, which this very year celebrated the 80th anniversary of D-Day with the opening of the “Faces of Canada Today” room. At Proasur, we proudly join in congratulating the Juno Beach Centre and the entire team who made this inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List possible — a recognition that honours the memory of those who landed on its beaches and that places Normandy, and projects like this one, on the map of international cultural excellence.
This recognition comes at a particularly significant moment for the Juno Beach Centre, which this very year celebrated the 80th anniversary of D-Day with the opening of the “Faces of Canada Today” room. At Proasur, we proudly join in congratulating the Juno Beach Centre and the entire team who made this inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List possible — a recognition that honours the memory of those who landed on its beaches and that places Normandy, and projects like this one, on the map of international cultural excellence.
For Proasur, having been able to contribute our technical development and production to a space of such historical significance is, quite simply, a privilege.
© Images CJB-L.Benoist / Juno Beach Centre.
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