Vimy Ridge exhibit remembers pivotal 1917 battle

By Meaghan Richens

More than a century later, Canadians are still commemorating the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and the sacrifices that were made there.

The Battle of Vimy Ridge took place from April 2-9 in 1917, and was a major victory for Canadians and the Allies.

Some historians equate the battle with the emergence of an independent Canadian nationhood.

The Canadian War Museum will be hosting a lecture on March 30 called Why Vimy Matters: The History of an Idea by award-winning author Tim Cook, a war historian at the LeBreton Flats museum.

As the battle fades from living memory, commemorating it is all the more important, said Melanie Morin-Pelletier, also a museum war historian.

“The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of a bigger offensive by the Allies in the spring of 1917,” said Morin-Pelletier.

“I believe that one of the reasons why it’s such an integral part of Canadian history is that it came at a difficult time for the Allies.”

The Canadian victory at Vimy Ridge was also historically significant because men from all regions of Canada attacked together.

Morin-Pelletier said that commemorating Vimy is important because it is symbolic of the Canadian contribution to the First World War.

“It shows what we could do by coming together —by working together,” said Morin-Pelletier.

A new exhibition at the museum, called Vimy Beyond the Battle, will run from April 6 to Nov. 12.

“Vimy Beyond the Battle uses Vimy as a starting point to explore how and why Canadians commemorate,” Morin-Pelletier said.

“What we’ve discovered by researching stories and artifacts is that commemoration serves multiple purposes for different people.”

“It’s also important to remember that Vimy was one of the costliest battles for Canada in their military history,” with 3,598 dead and over 7,000 wounded.