Today, we mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (V-E) Day—a defining moment in the history of the Second World War. On 5 May 1945, Canadian and Allied soldiers accepted the surrender of German forces in the Netherlands. Two days later, the remaining German forces surrendered across Europe, and on 8 May 1945, V-E Day was officially declared.

For the people of Nova Scotia, as for so many around the world, V-E Day was met with both relief and reflection. It signalled the end of a dark and …