“It was Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific on parade. I thought then… that in those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation.”
This is the famous quote by Brigadier-General Alexander Ross talking about Canada’s role in the Battle of Vimy Ridge during World War One. This battle was the first major victory for the Allies and is said to be the turning point in the war. This is also said to be the point where Canada was seen as its own country, independent from England.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. To commemorate this battle, a huge ceremony was arranged and around 25 000 people attended, Canadians and French alike. Some of these guests included Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Charles, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and the previous French president Francois Hollande. Our school was one of many from all over Canada that attended, so it was nice to see kids my age respecting the soldiers who died.
For those of you who haven’t been, my family was lucky enough to visit Vimy in 2014 when the crowds weren’t as large. This is a powerful and moving monument and I’m glad I had the chance to visit it a second time. (Photos below are from 2014)
As a part of the ceremony, replicas of airplanes used in the First World War flew over the crowd.
There was also a 21 gun salute to honour those who died. This salute is considered to be the highest honour in the military.
This ceremony was incredibly moving because people from all over Canada came together to remember all those who sacrificed themselves for us. Although the war was a time of sadness and fear, the ceremony united us so we will always remember.
Here is a french video I made of my visit to Vimy with clips of the airplanes and the gun salute:
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