do
      suggest
      this:
      book
      ahead.
      I
      failed
     
     
      to
      do
      this
      and
      ironically
      had
      to
      sleep
     
     
      on
      the
      rocky
      beach
      where
      sixty
      years
     
     
      earlier
      Canadians
      had
      fallen
      in
      their
     
     
      assault
      on
      the
      town
      as,
      funny
     
     
      enough,
      it
      was
      the
      last
      night
      of
      the
     
     
      festival
      celebrating
      the
      town's
      libera-
     
     
      tion.
      Oh
      well,
      it
      made
      me
      proud
      to
     
     
      see
      the
      Canadian
      flags
      lining
      the
     
     
      streets,
      despite
      my
      hypothermia.
     
     
      My
      journey
      had
      one
      last
      des-
     
     
      tination.
      We
      have
      all
      in
      some
      way
     
     
      been
      exposed
      to
      the
      history
      of
      D-
     
     
      Day
      and
      understand
      that
      it
      was
      the
     
     
      single
      greatest
      military
      exercise
      in
     
     
      the
      history
      of
      man.
      June
      6,
      1944
      was
     
     
      the
      turning
      point
      of
      the
      war,
      the
      day
     
     
      the
      brave
      men
      facing
      dramatically
     
     
      unfavorable
      odds
      buckled
      down
      and
     
     
      stormed
      the
      beaches.
      DO
      NOT
      miss
     
     
      the
      chance
      to
      visit
      Normandy
      and
      be
     
     
      prepared
      to
      have
      your
      eyes
      opened.
     
     
      In
      a
      little
      town
      called
     
     
      Bayeux,
      students
      can
      find
      quaint
     
     
      country
      hostels
      that
      gladly
      open
     
     
      their
      doors
      for
      as
      little
      as
      15
      bucks
      a
     
     
      night
      -
      breakfast
      and
      all.
      To
      see
      the
     
     
      beaches,
      visitors
      have
      two
      options.
     
     
      Either
      pay
      through
      the
      nose
      for
      a
      bus
     
     
      tour
      or
      rent
      a
      vehicle.
      There
      will
     
     
      always
      be
      travelers
      ready
      to
      chip
      in
     
     
      on
      a
      rental,
      and
      rent
      a
      peppy
      French
     
     
      built
      Peugot.
      With
      two
      Canadians,
     
     
      one
      American
      and
      an
      Australian
      in
     
     
      tow,
      we
      headed
      out
      to
      Juno
      beach
      -
     
     
      the
      site
      of
      the
      Canadian
      landings.
     
     
      This
      desolate
      stretch
      of
      beach
      is
      still
     
     
      pot-marked
      by
      broken
      concrete
     
    
   
   
    
     
      bunkers,
      pill
      boxes
      and
      it
      only
      takes
     
     
      a
      moment
      to
      realize
      the
      magnitude
     
     
      of
      the
      operation
      and
      the
      fear
      our
     
     
      troops
      must
      have
      felt.
      Passing
     
     
      through
      the
      British
      sectors
      and
      on
      to
     
     
      the
      American
      beaches
      the
      coast
      is
     
     
      lined
      with
      German
      heavy
      guns
      and
     
     
      major
      portions
      of
      the
      Atlantic
      Wall.
     
    

    
     
      Down
      a
      windy
      road
      we
     
     
      drove
      until
      a
      beach
      emerged,
      white
     
     
      and
      sandy
      -
      very
      much
      like
      the
      sand
     
     
      from
      our
      North
      Shore.
      We
      walked
      to
     
     
      a
      large
      concrete
      bunker
      on
      the
      sand
     
     
      and
      then
      turned
      to
      face
      what
      laid
     
     
      behind
      us.
      This
      was
      Omaha
      beach,
     
     
      bloody
      Omaha
      -
      and
      at
      that
      moment
     
     
      we
      all
      understood
      why
      the
     
     
      Americans
      who
      landed
      here
      never
     
     
      had
      a
      chance
      in
      hell.
      The
      rising
      cliffs
     
     
      were
      lined
      with
      bunkers
      and
      gun
     
     
      placements,
      all
      facing
      this
      open
     
     
      stretch
      of
      beach
      -
      of
      which
      no
      cover
     
     
      was
      available:
      As
      we
      walked
      up
      the
     
     
      cliffs,
      the
      true
      magnitude
      of
      D-Day
     
     
      struck
      us
      as
      we
      entered
      the
      Omaha
     
     
      cemetery.
      10,943
      soldiers
      are
      buried
     
     
      here
      in
      white
      rows
      of
      crosses
      so
      per-
     
     
      fect
      in
      alignment
      that
      thw
      visual
     
     
      effect
      itself
      commands
      respect.
     
     
      Hundreds
      of
      people
      walked
      the
      rows
     
     
      in
      almost
      utter
      silence.
     
    

    
     
      Every
      Canadian
      should
      visit
     
     
      here,
      because
      until
      we
      do,
     
     
      Normandy
      and
      the
      struggle
      it
      saw
      is
     
     
      only
      a
      distant
      place,
      someone
      else's
     
     
      fight.
      I
      will
      always
      remember
      those
     
     
      beaches.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      view
      of
      Omaha
      from
      a
      German
      bunker
      -
      no
      chance
      in
      hell
     
    
   
   
    
     
      McGill
      SU
      to
      build
      genderless
     
     
      washroom
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
          
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (CUP)
      --
      McGi
     
    
   
   
    
     
      University's
      student
      society
      is
     
     
      building
      the
      campus'
      first
      gender-
     
     
      neutral,
      wheel-chair-accessible,
     
     
      single-unit
      washroom.
     
    

    
     
      The
      washroom,
      which
      will
     
     
      be
      on
      the
      main
      floor
      of
      the
      student
     
     
      society's
      Shatner
      Building,
      is
     
     
      designed
      to
      allow
      gender-variant
     
     
      students
      and
      students
      with
      disabili-
     
     
      ties
      to
      "utilize
      the
      washrooms
      with
     
     
      ease
      and
      dignity,"
      according
      to
      a
     
     
      SSMU
      press
      release.
     
    

    
     
      Brianna
      Hersey,
      a
     
     
      spokesperson
      for
      the
      society,
      said
     
     
      the
      executive
      chose
      to
      increase
     
     
      accessibility
      beyond
      the
      current
     
     
      McGill
      University
      definition
      to
     
     
      better
      meet
      the
      needs
      of
      its
      margin-
     
     
      alized
      students.
     
    

    
     
      "Access
      for
      able-bodied
     
     
      and
      gender-normative
      folks
      usually
     
     
      means
      what
      the
      gender
      normative
     
     
      think
      the
      gender
      variant
      need.
      It
     
     
      usually
      means
      what
      is
      perceived
      to
     
     
      be
      accessible,"
      said
      Hersey.
     
    

    
     
      "Unfortunately,
      to
      many,
     
     
      access
      is
      narrowly
      defined
      as
      a
     
     
      wheel-chair
      ramp
      and
      a
      wheel-
     
     
      chair-accessible
      toilet
      within
      a
      gen-
     
     
      der-segregated
      washroom.
      This
     
     
      definition
      of
      access
      simply
      doesn't
     
     
      reflect
      the
      reality
      for
      many
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      on
      this
      campus,"
      she
      said.
     
    

    
     
      Hersey
      also
      said
      this
      meas-
     
     
      ure
      reflects
      SSMU's
      awareness
      of
     
     
      socially
      sidelined
      students.
     
    

    
     
      "The
      Shatner
      Building
      is
     
     
      the
      physical
      representation
      of
      the
     
     
      Students'
      Society
      and
      we
      take
     
     
      issues
      of
      accessibility
      seriously,"
     
     
      she
      said.
     
    

    
     
      Michelle
      Marsman,
      an
     
     
      administrator
      for
      Queer
      McGill,
     
     
      said
      her
      organization
      is
      impressed
     
    
   
   
    
     
      with
      the
      proposed
      washroom,
      and
     
     
      is
      happy
      for
      the
      Trans-Gendered
     
     
      Alliance
      and
      McGill's
      trans-gen-
     
     
      dered
      community.
     
    

    
     
      "This
      is
      a
      really
      progressive
     
     
      move.
      Its
      nice
      to
      know
      these
      types
     
     
      of
      things
      are
      being
      taken
      into
     
     
      account
      by
      our
      Students’
      Society,"
     
     
      she
      said.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Office
      of
      Students
      with
     
     
      Disabilities
      was
      also
      excited
      at
      the
     
     
      announcement
      of
      a
      new
      wheel-
     
     
      chair-accessible
      washroom.
     
    

    
     
      Director
      Joan
      Wolforth
      said
     
     
      the
      current
      washrooms
      are
      not
     
     
      acceptable,
      and
      believes
      the
     
     
      upcoming
      renovations
      are
      much
     
     
      needed.
     
    

    
     
      "The
      announcement
      is
      very
     
     
      much
      in
      line
      with
      the
      interest
      in
     
     
      equity
      issues.
      The
      previous
      wash-
     
     
      rooms
      that
      were
      there
      were.
      not
     
     
      really
      suitable.
      The
      current
      ones
     
     
      were
      sort
      of
      renovations
      of
      renova-
     
     
      tions,
      and
      they
      are
      not
      particularly
     
     
      up
      to
      McGill
      standards."
     
    

    
     
      The
      executive
      does
      not
     
     
      know
      yet
      where
      the
      funds
      will
     
     
      come
      from.
     
    

    
     
      "The
      financing
      for
      these
     
     
      washrooms
      is
      a
      little
      bit
      unclear
     
     
      right
      now,"
      said
      Rod
      De
      Castro,
     
     
      VP
      Operations
      of
      the
      students"
     
     
      society.
     
    

    
     
      "This
      wasn't
      initially
      part
      of
     
     
      the
      referendum
      project,
      but
      SSMU
     
     
      is
      committed
      to
      the
      realization
      of
     
     
      the
      washrooms,
      and
      we
      will
      find
     
     
      the
      money."
     
    

    
     
      According
      to
      De
      Castro,
      all
     
     
      renovations
      on
      the
      main
      floor,
     
     
      including
      the
      gender-neutral,
     
     
      wheel-chair-accessible,
      single-unit
     
     
      washroom,
      will
      not
      be
      completed
     
     
      until
      the
      new
      year.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -:page
      [11]
      October
      29,
      2003:.