The Vimy Memorial

The Figure of Canada (a.k.a. Sorrow), by Walter S. Allward. Canadian National Vimy Memorial.

Of all the places I planned on visiting this year, the Vimy Memorial is the site for which I had the highest expectations. After seeing the emotional Easter Monday broadcast on the CBC last year commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, I had it in my mind that it might be the most beautiful (and moving) memorial in the world. Yes, including pyramids, archs, and the Taj. It is a memorial to all those who fought the battles of the Great War; and as some suggest - a monument to the moment in time when Canada became a nation.
So I headed out to Arras, France to visit this place I had grown fond of from afar. It did not disappoint. It IS the most beautiful memorial I have ever seen. In the photos below, I try to capture a bit of the experience, hoping that someday you will visit the site. Ever Canadian must, everyone else should.


The Flemish town of Arras, France is where you will find a place to stay closest to the momument. As you can see, it is beautiful. Less than one hour on the TGV from Paris Gare du Nord (175km)


The land surrounding the monument has been planted with species to evoke the Canada landscape.


These re-constructed trenches are one of the first things you see when on the tour of the underground tunnels. They may not be inhabited with the foul stench of death and rats that the real trenches were riddled with, but they do give you some idea of just how close they were to the enemy.


The surreal landscape all around the site has been sculpted by mortar shelling and land mines.


Much of the surrounding area is still full of land mines, so you have to stay within the prescribed safe zones. Sheep belonging to a local farmer, too light to set off the mines, are used to keep the grass trimmed.




We're getting there. It is a long, and at times, an emotional walk.




This is, for lack of a better term, the 'back' of the memorial.


This is the front, with Canada standing by herself on the edge.


Sympathy of Canadians for the Helpless


I love how his foot breaks the implicit frame here.


Looking up.


A perfect end to the day. Getting a drive back to Arras from Georges who has been driving Canadians to and from the site for years. He is a fixture at the site, and a great friend to all those who work there. In this picture, taken at the graveyard for German soldiers, he is showing a fellow Canadian the map of the area.