CHEK
WATCH: Ceremonies across Victoria will mark 100-years since the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Isabelle Raghem has a preview.
Thousands of Canadians are arriving in northern France this week to take part in ceremonies marking 100-years since the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
Commemoration events will also take place across Canada and on Vancouver Island this weekend, in honour of one of the country’s defining moments in history.
Saturday, April 8:
- At 11 a.m., the Canadian Scottish Regiment march from the Bay Street Armoury to Victoria City Hall, and then to the B.C. legislature.
- From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site will host a free salute to Vimy Ridge. A bronze plaque will also be unveiled to honour General Sir Arthur Currie. Visitors can also participate in re-enactments, crafts, presentations of artifacts and a campfire. The 5th Field Artillery Regiment will shoot a 100-round rapid-fire salute at 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 9:
- From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Bay Street Armoury will open its doors to the public for a free open house and commemoration event. Visitors will get to see the guns used in the 100-round rapid fire barrage the previous night at Fort Rodd Hill. Over 30 military units and organizations will have exhibits.
- At 2:45 p.m., a music and narrative event will take visitors from the beginning of the First World War, through the Battle of Vimy Ridge, to the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in 1936.
Isabelle Raghem
