We remember: Vimy Ridge

Remembrance Day was never a big deal for me. I could never get my mind around world war; I never really wanted to. But when I was attending university in England last fall, a Canadian friend suggested travelling to France and trekking out to Vimy Ridge on Nov. 11.

Both of us were expecting a European adventure, so neither of us was prepared for the all-Canadian contingent we met when we scored the last two beds in the youth hostel closest to the ridge. As we walked past the communal kitchen, we were immediately bombarded with "Hey'der! You guys Canadian?" Ten shiny faces were staring at us from around the table, and within 10 minutes of putting down my bags, I was chatting with a girl who grew up in the same minuscule town in northern Ontario that my parents grew up in.

So began our Vimy experience. At a nearby bar that night, 20 of us under the age of 25 met up with about 10 of the Vimy guides who were also Canadian. As we talked, I quickly realized that we had all come to pay our respects for very different reasons. My friend and I – two feminist, leftwing arts students – expected to confirm our beliefs that war should never happen and that violence is never the answer. But we were wide-eyed to discover that many of the other young adults were part of the Canadian military – they had come to validate and commemorate the efforts of the soldiers who had gone before.

Two were soldiers on leave from Bosnia. Another fellow – an engineer – worked part time for the army. And a couple just barely out of high school had paid for their trip by joining the reserves and enduring basic training. Hearing all the military talk, my friend and I wondered what we were getting ourselves into, but as the conversation progressed, we realized that we had more in common with the soldiers-in-training than we might have liked to admit. Certainly, when it came to our native land, we found lots to talk about. Needless to say, there was Canadian cockiness in the air as we took over the bar and made it a little piece of home that night.

On the bus ride over to Vimy Ridge the next morning, an ex-guide who was travelling with us gave us the rundown on the historical significance of Vimy.

At the battle of Vimy Ridge, the Canadian Corps had the autonomy to strategize, plan and fight together under Canadian command. Its mission -- to topple the Germans from a key defensive position -- had been tried and failed in previous attempts by the British and by the French. At Vimy Ridge, Canadians had a chance to show the world what they were made of.