At 9:36 p.m. EDT on May 7, 1945, four words flashed across Canada: “Germany has surrendered unconditionally.”
Even before the official announcement, celebrations had begun. Earlier that morning, news of the surrender had broken prematurely—an echo of a similar false report on April 28—setting the stage for a day of anticipation and relief.
At 2:41 a.m. local time, General Alfred Jodl, Chief of Staff of the German Armed Forces High Command, signed the unconditional surrender of all German forces to the Allies. The signing took place in a red brick schoolhouse serving as the Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) in Rheims, France. Walter Bedell Smith, Allied Chief of Staff, accepted on behalf of the Western Allies, while Ivan Susloparov, chief of the Soviet liaison mission, accepted on behalf of the Soviets.
Because Susloparov lacked full authorization from Moscow, a second formal surrender ceremony was held the following day in Karlhorst, near Berlin, on May 8.
Two days earlier, on May 5, Lieutenant-General Charles Foulkes, commander of 1 Canadian Corps, accepted the surrender of the 25th German Army from Colonel-General Johannes Blaskowitz at the Hotel de Wereld in Wageningen, Holland—signifying the surrender of all German troops in the Netherlands.
Across Canada, jubilant crowds flooded the streets of Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa. A parade was held on Parliament Hill, with smaller celebrations erupting in towns and cities nationwide.
The BBC announced that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill would address the Empire at 9:00 a.m. the following morning, allowing for a brief period of celebration before turning attention to Japan. Churchill officially declared May 8, 1945, Victory in Europe Day, later shortened to V-E Day.
Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, participating in the founding conference for the United Nations in San Francisco, addressed the nation, reminding Canadians that “Victory was won at so great a price.”
Amid the jubilation, not all celebrations were peaceful. Halifax, whose population had nearly doubled during the war from 70,000 to 130,000, erupted in rioting and looting. Resentful military personnel clashed with civilians when liquor stores and restaurants remained closed. Over the next two days, three were killed, more than 200 shops looted, and over 550 businesses damaged—casting a somber shadow over the celebrations.
On the same day, the Canadian government announced the end of conscription, calling instead for volunteers for continued action against Japan. Some 30,000 soldiers and 15,000 airmen would be sent to the Pacific theater.
The government also unveiled a points-based system to bring soldiers home from Europe, prioritizing volunteers, long-serving personnel, married soldiers, and those willing to serve in the Pacific. Soldiers remaining on occupation duty would return later.
After nearly six years of relentless conflict, the battle against Nazi Germany was over. Canada, like the rest of the world, paused to celebrate, mourn, and prepare for the next phase of the war in the Pacific.
johnmilner.ca 