Reminder: D-Day at Voodoo Paintball this Saturday!

How time flies! The 2011 edition of D-Day at Voodoo Paintball is already here, taking place this Saturday, June 25th at the field in St-Etienne Des Gres, Quebec. Once again, hundreds of players will be gathering to storm Omaha beach as the allies, and taking a turn to play the role of the Axis defenders as well. This year the game is timed to (almost) coincide with the 67th anniversary of the real D-Day landing, which happens to be this Monday.

Those who read my News From the Front report on the 2010 D-Day event will know that this is a DO-NOT-MISS event if you're in Ottawa, Montreal, or Quebec City. Hell, for this I'd even drive out to Voodoo from the center of the universe (Toronto).

The annual D-Day game at Voodoo is huge, despite humble beginnings 5 years ago:



Of course Yours Truly will be there Saturday, among the hundreds of players now attending the event annually. If you live within driving distance, come on out and see what the game's like. You won't regret it!

Voodoo's New Site UP! + D-Day 2011 Details

Voodoo Paintball, profiled extensively in episode 2 of the RDS network's Paintball TV, has revamped their web site for 2011, with a slicker design and user interface, and better graphics. I love the new look of the site, but you can judge it for yourself here.

Also, the details for Voodoo's 2011 D-Day event are now posted, and the skinny is that it'll be held Saturday, June 4th. Those who followed Grey Ops waayyy back in our earlier days (circa October 2010) will recall my News From The Front report on how much I loved Voodoo's field, and the incredible D-Day event as a whole. Here's a recap:

News From The Front: D-Day 2010 at Voodoo Paintball

September 5th, 2010 saw Voodoo Paintball hosting their annual D-Day event at their thematic field in St-Etienne-Des-Gres, Quebec. Nearly 300 players showed up at the event to re-enact the battle of Normandy, and the 101st Airborne Regiment's assault on the French town of Carentan.

Voodoo is close to the city of Trois-Rivieres (Three Rivers), which is about 1.5 hours East of Montreal by car. Trois-Rivieres is a noteworthy heritage site, featuring many monuments with a lot of history behind them. As the intersecting point of 3 major waterways in Eastern Canada (as its name suggests), it was strategically important outpost with a strong military connection.


With this area being of such historical and military significance, it's the ideal place to re-enact a battle recognized as a turning point in military history!

Throughout this review I'll be using stock photos from the Voodoo Paintball web site to illustrate, as I was too busy keeping my head down under heavy fire to snap any pics of my own! Although Voodoo Paintball normally posts photos of every event on their site, for 2010 they posted only one short but intense clip (above), and offer a DVD featuring photos and video footage for $10.

D-Day Oklahoma, Canadian-Style - Scenario Week

For every scenario paintballer, the pinnacle of scenario games is the Oklahoma D-Day event held every year. But for those in Eastern Canada who can't make it, due to travelling distance or a lack of funds, there are alternatives. They may not be as all-out as the Oklahoma event, but if you want the feel of storming the beaches at Normandy, here are some events and fields that might fit the bill:

Voodoo Paintball (St-Etienne Des Gres, Quebec)


Every summer this field, located in a small town just outside of Trois-Riveres, Quebec, hosts a D-Day big game with over 300 players. In the first half of the day you spawn from a makeshift Higgins boat, and assault a sand beach towards a trench system filled with defenders. After taking the beach and clearing the trench system, in the afternoon you fight inland and push on Carentan and other famous D-Day sites. Here's a clip to give you an idea of what to expect for the day:



Voodoo Paintball is about 3.5 hours drive from Ottawa, 1.5 hours drive from Montreal, and 3 hours from St-Albans, NY. This year the event will be held on September 5th.

Mirabel Paintball (Mirabel, Quebec)

Mirabel Paintball hosts a pretty elaborate Normandy field:



The downside to Mirabel paintball is their paint prices, which are extremely high at $240 per case (although this seems to be the norm at Montreal-area fields). On the bright side though, the cost drops to $120 per case at big games (and they hold several big games each year).

Mirabel Paintball is approximately 1.5 hours drive from Ottawa, 45 minutes drive from Montreal, and 2 hours from St-Albans, NY.

Commando Paintball (Sarsfield, Ontario)

Commando Paintball has a new D-Day field that will be up and running this season. It doesn't look like something to drive hours to try out, but if you're in the Ottawa area it would be worth a visit.



Commando Paintball is about 30 minutes from Ottawa, and 2 hours from Montreal.

So if you live in Ontario or Quebec, and can't make it to the Oklahoma event, the above venues and events might give you an idea of what it would be like, and still give you a chance to enjoy part of the fun.

If any readers have some info on other D-Day setups or events in your areas, please let us know about them in the comments section!