Vimy Ridge… 100 Years Later

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“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)

The monument at Vimy Ridge

As a part of the ceremony, replicas of airplanes used in the First World War flew over the crowd.

The replica airplanes

There was also a 21 gun salute to honour those who died.  This salute is considered to be the highest honour in the military.

The 21 gun salute

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.

Our group in front of the monument

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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Comments

10 responses to “Vimy Ridge… 100 Years Later”

  1.  Avatar

    Thank you Mikhaila for continuing this wonderful travel log. I have so enjoyed reading this one and of course all of the ones from your family trip. I doubt I will ever be at Vimy Ridge or most of the places you have shared with us, so I very much appreciate your photos and info. You are a wonderful writer and a delightful young woman with so much to offer the world.

    1. Mikhaila Avatar

      Hello,

      Thank you for your kind comment! We’re always happy to share our adventures!

  2. Thank you Mikhaila – rich, powerful history. Thank you, Mary K (cousin)

    1. Mikhaila Avatar

      Hi!

      It was a really moving and powerful ceremony. I am really glad that I had the chance to attend.

  3. Sandra Campbell Avatar
    Sandra Campbell

    Very inspiring Mikhaila and informative. It makes one proud to be a Canadian. Thanks for this.
    Sandra

    1. Mikhaila Avatar

      Hello Teta Sandy,

      It was an incredible trip and I’m glad I was able to have this experience.

  4. Sharon Faulhaber Avatar
    Sharon Faulhaber

    Another great journey & more memories to build on. Keep up the the good work with your journalistic coverage of your world travels.

    1. Mikhaila Avatar

      Hello Sharon,

      It was an amazing trip and it was really interesting to learn about the history of Canada’s role at Vimy.

  5. Mikhaila, I really enjoyed the history and wonderful photos!

    1. Mikhaila Avatar

      Hi Baba,

      Thank you for your comment! It was an amazing trip!

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