​​The previous day a ceasefire was agreed but ended with German forces continuing to fight with their ‘Festung’ order:to fortify and defend the port area to prevent use by the Allied forces, meaning it ultimately became unusable. Canadian forces, meanwhile, were ready to continue fighting as soon as the ceasefire ended. They believed it a delaying tactic by German forces.

​At 18:00 D Company, CSR advanced towards the citadel, to the west of town. Both B and C companies quickly followed. Despite having expected fierce resistance from the German forces, they faced only German surrender.

​By 19:00 the CSR had advanced into town and reached the lighthouse, overlooking the port. The defensive positions around the port were still holding out but C company had advanced into some of the fortifications and found German troops there wanting to surrender. Two Canadian soldiers, Captain Schjeldrup and Company Sargeant Major Berry, entered one of the forts under a white flag to discuss a surrender with the German commander. However, the German commander would not negotiate with the Canadian forces until after dinner. The three dined together, after which the German commander agreed to surrender the garrison, but only to an officer of the Regiment. It was arranged for Major Crofton to meet him at 02:00 on 1 October 1944.

​The meeting took place and the German commander offered the surrender on one condition: Canadian soldiers would not turn them over to French civilians. He feared reprisals against him and his men for the occupation and hardship endured. This was agreed and the order to surrender at 07:00 was given.

​At 07:00, prisoners of war began to leave the forts and defences, escorted to prisoner of war cagessetup by Canadian troops. The Regimental headquarters had previously been positioned in the lighthouse, a confined space. By 17:00, they had been moved across the canal and setup in an old German hospital (the large building now used by Nexans France). At that time another hospital was located where the ferry terminal carpark is today, north of the Nexans building.

​Calais had been liberated, but the CSR noted that the area all around the Citadel had been ‘Caened’, a phrase linked to the devastation caused to the city of Caen (Normandy), following weeks of fighting and bombing around D-Day on 6 June 1944. The locks of the canals and port were badly damaged by German forces and caused difficulties for the repair teams that now moved in quickly.​