Vimy Ridge Day commemorates 101st anniversary

This week marks the 101-year anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, when all four divisions of the Canadian Corps attacked as a composite formation in 1917 at 5:30 a.m on April 9, 2017. This week serves as a reminder of the sacrifices these soldiers made during the attack.

To help commemorate the battle, the City of Toronto held a ceremony on April 9, 2018, to unveil the renaming of Glenhurst Avenue, now known as Vimy Ridge Avenue.

Last fall, the residents of Glenhurst Avenue set forth a petition to have the street name changed back to the original Vimy Ridge Avenue. The street had been known as Vimy Ridge Avenue until a bylaw was passed April 30, 1928, changing the name to what was known as Glenhurst Avenue.

During an Etobicoke York Community Council meeting on February 21, 2018, it was decided to ceremoniously change the name to the original “Vimy Ridge Avenue.”

At 10 a.m., on the corner of Glenhurst Avenue and Crang Avenue, Toronto City Councillor Cesar Palacio, along with representatives from the Vimy Foundation, the Legion, community ratepayers and local residents, unveiled Vimy Ridge Avenue.

In addition to the ceremony held in Toronto, the city of Burlington, Ont., held a ceremony at the Cenotaph next to City Hall where Vimy Oak trees were planted. Mayor Rick Goldring and representatives from the Vimy Foundation and the Royal Canadian Legion – Branch 60 were in attendance.

In Ottawa, Ont., representatives from the Vimy Foundation’s student group and members of the community were invited to partake in a wreath-laying ceremony held at the National War Memorial. While in Chilliwack, BC, the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 280 Vedder held a parade and memorial ceremony.

While the Battle of Vimy Ridge started on April 9, 1917, it didn’t end until the night of April 12. In total, 30,000 Canadians fought at Vimy Ridge to help claim the victory. They suffered nearly 11,000 casualties, with about 3,600 lives lost that day.

Vimy Ridge Day, also known as National Day of Remembrance of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, was named on April 9, 2003, by the Canadian Government to serve as a day of remembrance and honour for the soldiers who fought so hard.