British Columbia Premier John Horgan says as a modern, civilized society we need to remind ourselves and future generations that intolerance and extremism have a cost to liberty and freedom.
The premier attended ceremonies in France to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day and described the event on Juno beach as "powerful" and "very moving."
Speaking from France in a conference call with reporters on Thursday, Horgan says D-Day is a reminder of the "fragility" of our system, the freedoms that we enjoy and that we must always be vigilant.
He says if we don't remember the horrors of intolerance and extremism we are doomed to repeat them.
Horgan joined thousands of Canadians on a stretch of beach on the coast of Normandy to commemorate one of the most pivotal days of the Second World War.
Several ceremonies were also held across Canada to mark D-Day with some veterans who are the last living link to the largest seaborne invasion in history.
"I think the reflections on the price of our democracy and the price of our freedom needs to be a constant reminder," Horgan said.
"We gather on Nov. 11 but we also have to look a little deeper it seems to me and protect and preserve our institutions and be wary of the rise of intolerance, what generated the tyranny of the Second World War in the first place."
D-Day commemorates the beginning of the liberation of Europe and the end of tyranny, he said adding it represented a symbol of sacrifices that people made so that we could have the system that we have in place today.
Horgan will also meet business leaders while on his European trip, tour tall wooden structures, look at film and tourism industries and take the high-speed train to the Netherlands to get a "flavour" of it to see how it can help the province with connectivity and reducing green house gases.
