When the question “who is the most important figure in Canadian history?” comes up, very few think of the name Arthur Currie. But he is probably the one name that should come up. Because on this day 95 years ago, April 9th, 1917, the name Canada was barely known. But a scant 24 hours later, the name Canada was on the lips of countless people.
For on April 9th, Canadians fighting as a single unit for the first time in history, utilized Currie’s “Creeping barrage” to take Vimy Ridge from the Germans. It was the first time a nation had taken land back from the Germans and held it in the Great War. Canadian casualties numbered less than 10,000 taking the ridge when British and French troops took tens of thousands each in previous attempts to take the ridge.
Last December, I was lucky enough to visit Vimy Ridge. A few pictures are below. If you are a Canadian who is proud of your country, I highly suggest you make the pilgrimage to this wondrous monument. The battle defined Canada as a nation. It put us on the world map. It is the essence of who we are.
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We need to start working on the 100th anniversary celebrations right away. Don’t wait for the government and bureaucrats (and if, God help us there is an NDP government elected in 2015, don’t expect anything at all).
Five years really isn’t much time
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Thanks for this. Just got here via a link from NewsWatchCanada.ca and wonder why you don’t have them in your ‘political lowdown’ link list; much more conservative and reliable than Bourque Newswatch, which you do list.
Thucydides is correct. We need to get going on the 100th anniversary Vimy celebrations. And we need people engaged in the War of 1812 200th this year; the war that changed Canada and the U.S. forever, making them peaceful neighbours by removing warships from Lake Champlain and the Great Lakes.
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Today I remember the Grandfather and great Uncle that I never got to meet. Lads in the battle at Vimy with the Cape Breton Highlanders Infantry I think. Thomas Mclean lost his life and his younger brother ,my grandfather, was wounded but survived. The wound was to leave him compromised and he passed as a very young man, we should never forget for this battle still affects the generations that have followed.
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Wonderful story and very inspiring. We should discuss stories like this more often; in fact everyday. My grandfather, an Irish immigrant, fought in Vimy Ridge, survived but lost many friends.
When my grandfather immigrated to Canada when there was no guarantee that he or any other immigrant would ever make it. There was no social safety net like we have today for our immigrants and refugees. There was no free health care. My grandfather and many of his Irish friends fought for the Dominion of Canada which was under British rule. They fought proudly and honourable.
I only wish we could see that in the immigrants and refugees we allow into Canada today. These new Canadians have a guarantee. They have a vast social safety net. They have free health care. They have free education for their children. They have much more than my grandfather and others like him had back then.
I know some of you will call me a racists or xenophobic but I’ve given up on political correctness. Immigration costs us tens of billions of dollars a year and nobody cares. The immigrants that come here have a sense of entitlement. We openly welcome immigrants and refugees from countries that support and sponsor terrorism. We welcome immigrants and refugees that despise Christianity and force us to change our laws and public polices so that their feelings are not offended.
I don’t believe that today’s Canada is the Canada those boys fought for and died in Vimmy Ridge.