As I walk out onto the sand expanse of Juno Beach in Normandy, I feel like I am treading on hallowed ground, greeted not only by the tranquil beauty of this coastline but also by the poignant echoes of history. The ocean is calm today, small waves curl softly on the gently sloping shore. This was not the case in the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, when 14,000 Canadian troops stormed this 10-kilometre stretch of sand, part of a D-Day landing force of more than 156,000 Allied soldiers.