Royal Canadian Legion in Vegreville Commemorates Vimy Ridge Day

Royal Canadian Legion in Vegreville Commemorates Vimy Ridge Day

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

The Canadian flag will be lowered to half-mast at sunrise and raised at sunset on April 9 outside of the Royal Canadian Branch No. 39 in Vegreville to commemorate Vimy Ridge Day.

Rod Stewart, who serves as the Honours and Awards Chairman for the Vegreville Legion, stated, “Vimy Ridge Day was created by an Act of Parliament in 2003 and has been observed every year since.”

Stewart went onto say, Vimy Ridge Day, is a non-statutory observance. “It is generally recognized with a statement from the Prime Minister of the day and the lowering of the flag on the Peace Tower. All Legion Branches are requested to lower their Branch flags on that day. Years ago, when there were surviving WWI veterans alive the day was usually marked with a dinner and social. As memories faded and connections became more distant this has not happened here.”

According to Tom Eagles, who formerly served as Dominion President of the Royal Canadian Legion in 2015, stated, “The Battle of Vimy Ridge, a battle that commenced on Easter Monday in 1917, is a day that many consider as historically important as the signing of the first document that created Canada in 1867 (British North America ACT).

Canadians had been involved with the war right from the beginning. With many new settlers being British expatriates there was a large group of young men who were anxious to “do their duty”. The original contingent was 25,000, ultimately well over 600,000 served. To put this in perspective during earlier attacks on the ridge the attacking French suffered 100,000 casualties, the defending Germans 75,000.

The capture of Vimy Ridge by all four divisions of the Canadian Corps that fought together, for the first time, played an important role in giving Canada the right to participate as a signatory at the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. It was also just prior to this battle that the Prime Minister of the day, Sir Robert Borden, promised a social contract with Canada’s fighting forces. It was during this famous battle that Canadians did what other allied forces could not; capture Vimy Ridge. Ensuring the continuation of the tradition of Honouring and Remembering our military heritage is very important to the Legion and its 300,000 members.”

The Royal Canadian Legion in Vegreville held a commemorative ceremony on the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 2017. Stewart said, “Vimy Ridge runs along the the Arras sector of a 400 mile (640 kilometre) line of opposing forces; a line that had remained virtually stagnant for most of the war. Stewart went onto say, “The land where the Vimy memorial stands was deeded to Canada by France.”