Local brewery commemorates D-Day with Canadian Navy sailors

WATCH: This Saskatchewan brewery is celebrating its connection with the HMCS Regina. Sierra D’Souza Butts reports.

A local brewery in Regina is honouring the anniversary of D-Day through a monthly longstanding tradition of theirs – First Firkin Friday.

“We have never had a military promotion at First Firkin Friday before. This was a first,” said Grant Frew, bar and marketing manager at Bushwakker Brewpub.

The event introduces a new craft beer every month in an effort to bring the community together and celebrate a milestone.

On June 6, a Royal Canadian Navy in Regina - HMCS Queen – participated in the occasion to help commemorate D-Day – which is considered the largest combined land, sea and air invasion in history and marked the beginning of the end of the Second World War in Europe.

“Today is a special commemorative edition of First Firkin Friday where are acknowledging the D-Day efforts of the Allied Forces 81 years ago today,” explained Frew.

“We are very excited to have members of HMCS Queen here to help commemorate that event. We produced a very special beer involving our Regina Pale Ale, Toasted Oak, and sailors really liked their rum so Pusser’s Navy Rum was also part of this special beer we created today.”

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As the Regina Rifles played an instrumental role as part of Operation Overlord on June 6, 1944, one current sailor of HMCS Queen said it is critical to honour the history of those who served, collaboratively.

“The Navy is the community. That’s where our people come from, that’s where we recruit from,” said Tyrel Beler.

“It’s very important that we have close ties with the community to better foster our relations between us so we can continue to exist and help our people out.”

HMCS Queen Commanding Officer Aaron Kaytor also shared the importance of paying tribute to the Canadian Navy on the commemorative day.

“It may not be as acknowledged as those brave soldiers who stormed the beaches, but over 100 Canadian ships participated that day or somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 Canadian sailors,” shared Kaytor.

“They participated in mine clearance landings, shore bombardment, as well as escort duty, and without them, those soldiers may have not have made it all the way to the beach so they could do their duty.”

Although this is the first time a military unit participated in Bushwakker’s firkin Friday event, it will not be the last time sailors visit the brewery, as a model of HMCS Regina will be unveiled later this year.

“There was a small number of modelers who are currently serving members of the current HMCS Regina who have created a model of a previous HMCS Regina and are donating it to the Bushwakker,” explained Kaytor.

“What we’ve arranged is for that ship model to be presented here sometime in August. I don’t have the exact date yet. It’s going to be coinciding with a namesake city visit where we have eight to 12 members of the crew of HMCS Regina who will fly to Regina, Saskatchewan and present the model at that event.”

HMCS Queen and the Royal Canadian Navy has been present in Regina for the last 100 years, having first been established in 1923.

- With files from Gareth Dillistone