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100 Years Later, Battle of Vimy Ridge Remains Key Symbol for Canada


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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/09/world/canada/canada-battle-vimy-ridge-anniversary-war.html?emc=edit_th_20170410&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=30446431

 

About 3,600 candles were placed at Canada’s national war memorial on Saturday night for each of the Canadian soldiers who died in the battle at Vimy Ridge in France. Credit Ian Austen/The New York Times

OTTAWA — Several hundred people gathered at Canada’s national war memorial at sunset on Saturday to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, a fierce World War I fight in northern France that looms large in Canada’s national identity.

For a country not generally given to national chest thumping, the battle at Vimy, where Canadian troops overtook German lines, has been cast by many Canadians as a pivotal moment in their nation’s formation. That sentiment was reflected at the ceremony in Ottawa and at others across Canada throughout the weekend, and at the Canadian memorial at Vimy Ridge near Arras, France, on Sunday, where about 25,000 people gathered, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and relatives of those who fought in the four-day battle.

“This monument is also symbolic of Canada’s birth and our enduring commitment to peace,” Mr. Trudeau said at the base of the soaring white memorial. Speaking of the nearly 3,600 Canadian soldiers who died during the battle, he added, “It was through their sacrifice that Canada became an independent signatory of the Treaty of Versailles, and in that sense, in that way, Canada was born here.”

The ceremony in France was attended by other world leaders, including President François Hollande of France, Prince Charles of Britain and his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

 

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"Vimy matters because it matters."

 

Good post, Mo, thank you.

This photo from the article grabbed me:

10VIMY3-master675.jpg

 

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Boots were placed at the memorial in Vimy in remembrance of the Canadian soldiers who died there.CreditGael Turine for The New York Times"

 

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