Of course, while in France, you must see Paris, the Louvre, Notre Dame… but while Paris was amazing, the highlight of my trip was the Canadian War Memorial at Vimy Ridge. It can be reached by car, though I made my way from La Gare du Nord train station in Paris to Arras, then by taxi to the Ridge.

The site is actually Canadian land, gifted by France to Canada in appreciation for our sacrifice and contribution to the Great War effort. It is a National Park and the signage stops you in your tracks. Despite being across the ocean in France, you immediately feel like you’re home.

This memorial must be seen to truly be appreciated. Made of white marble, it towers into the sky at the site of one of Canada’s most historic locations. The names of WWI Canadian solders with no known graves are carved into its walls. Graceful, mournful human figures look down from its heights, their downcast eyes forever weeping our losses.

An information centre near the memorial explains how Canadian solders fought together for the first time at Vimy Ridge using an innovative ‘creeping barrage’ technique. On April 12, 1917, they captured the ridge and forced the German retreat, a task both the French and British previously failed at.

A small cemetery quietly marks the final resting place of many Canadian men, boys really, who would not come home. Also on the site are countless bomb craters, trenches, and underground tunnels. These contain historical equipment and wall carvings that can be toured by visitors and help to get a sense of the Canadian suffering and achievement that occurred at Vimy.

My trip to France was full of emotions, mostly joy and wonder, but my trip to Vimy Ridge is still one of the most moving days of my life.

Vimy, France

Brenda Ross