1917 9 April The RCR at Vimy Ridge

Vimy Ridge anniversary marked
By KATHLEEN HARRIS. SUN MEDIA

Vimy Ridge memorial in Vimy, France.

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper paid tribute today to the Canadian soldiers who overcame “immense odds” to capture Vimy Ridge 92 years ago.

“The courageous soldiers of the Canadian Corps took part in a decisive battle that would help define both the course of the First World War and the course of Canadian history,” Harper said in a written statement. “This monumental success came at an immense cost to Canada, with nearly 3,600 Canadians losing their lives. Thanks to the sacrifice and ultimate success of our soldiers, Canada not only succeeded on the battlefield but came of age as a proud, united and independent country among its allies and, ultimately, among the nations of the world.”

The battle at Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917 marked the first time all four divisions of the Canadian Corps fought along side. The historic victory is considered a turning point in the First World War and the “birth of a nation” for Canada.

At the towering Vimy memorial in France, a sunset service to honour the fallen was attended by Canadian and French officials, and in Ottawa, a wreath was placed at the National War Memorial.

Harper used the anniversary to urge Canadians to remember the sacrifice of battles past and present every day — not just on Nov. 11.

“We must always honour the Heroes of Vimy Ridge and the other conflicts of the Great War. We must always honour the Canadian service men and women who fought so bravely in the Second World War and in Korea or those who have served and continue to serve as peacekeepers in some of the most dangerous regions of the world,” he said. “Today, with Canadians once again serving bravely and sacrificing so much as part of the NATO mission in Afghanistan, we must renew our pledge to never take these sacrifices for granted.”