"The Battle of Vimy Ridge is the most manipulated event in Canadian history."
Today's Itinerary and Activities
Today as we toured the Arras sector of the First World War, we challenged the dominant narrative surrounding the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
We began the day at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial Park. Once onsite, we went to an area of the park that is close to the Vimy Monument. We each shared a word that comes to mind when we think of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Blake then led us in a discussion about the Vimy Oaks Legacy and the importance of questioning the dominant narrative of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Following this discussion, we drove to and visited the recently opened Visitor Education Centre. We also walked through the reconstructed trenches onsite.
When we left Vimy Ridge, we drove to Givenchy-en-Gohelle, which has dedicated 2017 to celebrating Canada. While there, we learned about the Canadian Corps' liberation of the town in 1917 and the enduring impact of this action. We also had the opportunity to visit with some of the townspeople. Before leaving Givenchy-en-Gohelle, we examined the Fresque de Givenchy-en-Gohelle.
Our next stop was the Lens' 14-18: Centre international de la Grande Guerre (Lens' 1914-1918 Great War History Centre), which is located at the bottom of the Notre-Dame-de-Lorette hill. During our walk through the exhibit rooms, we considered the intent of the museum. Following our visit to Lens' 1914-1918, we drove to Maroeuil British Cemetery where Ben presented a brief biographical sketch of one of the two soldiers he researched for the trip. We then continued on to Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery. While there, Zakk presented his soldier biography.
After Zakk's presentation, we returned to the Canadian National Vimy Memorial Park where we spent an hour examining the monument and considering its historical significance. We came together briefly after our investigation of the monument to discuss some key points about the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
Our day continued at the Hill 70 Memorial Park, which was inaugurated in April 2017 to commemorate the lesser-known Battle of Hill 70. Here, Lee explained his perspective on the significance of the August 1917 battle and challenged us to think about why the Battle of Vimy Ridge overshadows the Battle of Hill 70.
Our final stop of the day was Loos British Cemetery where Jessica, Karen and Riley, Ronda, and Mike presented their soldier biographies. The day ended at our hotel in Arras where Jessica facilitated a short seminar.
We began the day at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial Park. Once onsite, we went to an area of the park that is close to the Vimy Monument. We each shared a word that comes to mind when we think of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Blake then led us in a discussion about the Vimy Oaks Legacy and the importance of questioning the dominant narrative of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Following this discussion, we drove to and visited the recently opened Visitor Education Centre. We also walked through the reconstructed trenches onsite.
When we left Vimy Ridge, we drove to Givenchy-en-Gohelle, which has dedicated 2017 to celebrating Canada. While there, we learned about the Canadian Corps' liberation of the town in 1917 and the enduring impact of this action. We also had the opportunity to visit with some of the townspeople. Before leaving Givenchy-en-Gohelle, we examined the Fresque de Givenchy-en-Gohelle.
Our next stop was the Lens' 14-18: Centre international de la Grande Guerre (Lens' 1914-1918 Great War History Centre), which is located at the bottom of the Notre-Dame-de-Lorette hill. During our walk through the exhibit rooms, we considered the intent of the museum. Following our visit to Lens' 1914-1918, we drove to Maroeuil British Cemetery where Ben presented a brief biographical sketch of one of the two soldiers he researched for the trip. We then continued on to Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery. While there, Zakk presented his soldier biography.
After Zakk's presentation, we returned to the Canadian National Vimy Memorial Park where we spent an hour examining the monument and considering its historical significance. We came together briefly after our investigation of the monument to discuss some key points about the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
Our day continued at the Hill 70 Memorial Park, which was inaugurated in April 2017 to commemorate the lesser-known Battle of Hill 70. Here, Lee explained his perspective on the significance of the August 1917 battle and challenged us to think about why the Battle of Vimy Ridge overshadows the Battle of Hill 70.
Our final stop of the day was Loos British Cemetery where Jessica, Karen and Riley, Ronda, and Mike presented their soldier biographies. The day ended at our hotel in Arras where Jessica facilitated a short seminar.
The Battle of Vimy Ridge: Challenging the Dominant Narrative
During our first visit to Vimy Ridge, Blake asked us to share a word that we relate to the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Some of the words that participants shared were controversial, monumental, natural, humbling, and moving.
Following this brainstorming activity, Blake shared with us a few aspects of the dominant narrative surrounding the Battle of Vimy Ridge:
Blake then explained that teachers cannot replace one narrative with another. Instead, they must expose their students to different narratives and give their students the chance to form their own perspectives using primary sources as evidence.
Before we returned to the vans to drive to the Visitor Education Centre, Blake posed three questions for us to consider throughout the day:
Following this brainstorming activity, Blake shared with us a few aspects of the dominant narrative surrounding the Battle of Vimy Ridge:
- The capture of Vimy Ridge resulted in the Birth of a Nation.
- The Canadians' successfully captured Vimy Ridge after both the French and British failed to do so.
- The Battle of Vimy Ridge was the first time that the four Canadian divisions of the Canadian Corps fought together.
Blake then explained that teachers cannot replace one narrative with another. Instead, they must expose their students to different narratives and give their students the chance to form their own perspectives using primary sources as evidence.
Before we returned to the vans to drive to the Visitor Education Centre, Blake posed three questions for us to consider throughout the day:
- Is the Vimy Memorial Park about a monument or about a battle?
- If we remove the current narrative around the Battle of Vimy Ridge, what will we teach?
- What is essential for students to learn about the Battle of Vimy Ridge?
Reflections on Vimy Ridge
When Abbi, Janelle, and Riley were asked to reflect on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial Park, they shared the following ideas:
Andrew and Lorelei also shared their thoughts on what they believe students in 2017 need to know about the Battle of Vimy Ridge:
- Abbi: "I believe the dominant narrative of Vimy Ridge is that of nation building; it provides Canadians with a source of meaning for the war efforts contributions to creating the nation of Canada. Through this, Canadians have a sense of pride and ownership to the Canadian contributions in France and Flanders during the First World War. I also believe that the narrative is strongly linked to the monument, which poses as a pilgrimage point for Canadians when visiting France. When considering Vimy Ridge, I find myself returning to the question Is it about the battle or the monument?"
- Janelle: "The area around the Canadian National Vimy Monument was not what I expected it to be. I thought that the monument was on flat ground and there was nothing else around the area. The monument was actually around hills and had another location to look around. The museum in the visitors' center, the trenches, and the size of the monument really put into perspective the thoughts of the soldiers as they prepared for the battle."
- Riley: "I suspect anyone who visits Vimy is immediately impressed by [the monument's] size, beauty, and sheer ability to attract attention; it truly draws you in. While we spent a great deal of time discussing and even critiquing the importance of the Battle of Vimy Ridge to Canada, Canada's role in the battle is iconic and will remain unchallenged."
Andrew and Lorelei also shared their thoughts on what they believe students in 2017 need to know about the Battle of Vimy Ridge:
- Andrew: "I think the Battle of Vimy Ridge is a conflict that is only told from a Canadian perspective. I believe that if students need to learn about Vimy Ridge, they need to learn about multiple countries' perspectives on the battle, as the other perspectives are often forgotten and should be examined as other countries played an integral part in the battle itself."
- Lorelei: "Our responsibility to youth in 2017 is to allow them to investigate the 'important' events that have 'shaped our history' and to guide them to think critically and evaluate what they discover about these events. Vimy Ridge represents a place and an event which has been qualified by our country as having a certain importance. I feel that the youth should investigate this particular event (not simply the battle but the lead-up to it and afterwards) and determine for themselves its significance.... Embarking on this will undoubtedly lead them into the narrative which is widely known... But only in delving into all the elements of the First World War and Canada's role in it - as well as those of our allies and enemies - will they arrive at what is, indeed, significant about the whole 'Vimy' narrative. It is not for me to say what they 'should' know or learn about Vimy... That is the youths' task..."
The Vimy Oaks Legacy
The Vimy Oaks Legacy is an example of the historical thinking concept Continuity and Change. It is a project that has been undertaken by a not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to commemorate Canadians who fought in the First World War. The corporation's goal is to distribute some "Vimy" oak saplings - saplings descended from acorns collected following the 1917 Battle of Vimy Ridge - across Canada and to repatriate the remaining oak saplings to the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in 2017.
During our discussion of the Vimy Oaks Legacy, we came to understand the complexity of designing memorials and monuments. Designers must consider where to locate them; the structures, symbols, and plaques to include in them; and how to unveil them.
During our discussion of the Vimy Oaks Legacy, we came to understand the complexity of designing memorials and monuments. Designers must consider where to locate them; the structures, symbols, and plaques to include in them; and how to unveil them.
2017 L'Année du Canada
Since Canadian troops' liberation of Givenchy-en-Gohelle, citizens of this French village have held Canada and Canadians in high regard. To honour Canada and the Centenary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and to foster tighter connections with Canada, Givenchy-en-Gohelle chose to dedicate 2017 to the celebration of Canada. Throughout 2017, the town is hosting several cultural events that feature Canadian artists. It also renamed a street Allée du 85ième Battalion des Nova Scotia Highlanders to honour the battalion of Canadian soldier Private John Arsenault, who fell on the first day of the Battle of Vimy Ridge (9 April 1917). To foster closer ties with Cape Breton, earlier this year, Givenchy-en-Gohelle also sent a delegation to Cape Breton, the home of Private Arsenault, to retrace Arsenault's steps to Vimy Ridge.
As we drove into Givenchy-en-Gohelle, we noticed that the village was flying numerous Canadian flags. Cindy and Lee shared with us that New Brunswick's Kent Building Supplies and the University of New Brunswick's Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society sent 500 Canadian flags to Givenchy-en-Gohelle to support the village's 2017 Année du Canada. When we arrived at Givenchy-en-Gohelle's City Hall, Benoît, a friend of Lee and Cindy's, greeted us. He explained why Givenchy-en-Gohelle holds Canada and Canadians in such high regard. He also shared how his village is paying homage to Canada in 2017. Benoît then led us to Givenchy-en-Gohelle's library where he showed us the town's giant Soldat John, whose design was based on Private Arsenault. He also showed us a book that Givenchy's school children wrote about Private Arsenault. Before leaving Givenchy-en-Gohelle's City Hall, Blake posed the question What is the historical significance of Givenchy-en-Gohelle's decision to base its soldier's design on a Canadian soldier? |
In the video clip immediately below, Benoît describes Givenchy-en-Gohelle's connection to Canada and how his village is celebrating Canada and commemorating the Centenary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. In the second video, Lee expresses his thanks to Benoît on behalf of our tour group.
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After some reflection, Lynzee and Ronda shared their responses to Blake's question:
- Lynzee: "I've just fallen on information about Givenchy en Gohelle. While we were visiting I felt a very big connection to the town. However, I didn't exactly know why. I was emotional seeing the Cape Breton Municipality banner and our city's emblem on the library. Know that I know more of the history of the giants and the fact that the town was yes, celebrating Canada and thanking us for their liberation, I'm just learning that soldier John was modelled after Private John Arsenault of Cheticamp, Cape Breton. Apparently his grand niece was there to see the unveiling and walked 250 km to the town and throughout France leading up to the town's celebration Apr. 9th. Givenchy civilians are celebrating John Arsenault of Cheticamp! I really wish I knew this when I was there, as I'm sure Robert would have lived this information as he is from Cheticamp. The town even developed a dessert with Canadian and French influence called Cheticamp, along with potentially becoming a twin city with Cheticamp. Thankfully, I heard the background on CBC radio. Cindy spoke briefly about it in the radio clip."
- Ronda: "This decision really illustrates how important the Canadian troops taking the town was and is. A hundred years have passed, I don't think anyone would insist that they continue to recognize and honour these events still; however, they do. They could have chosen their géant to be anything that represented them, the fact that they chose theirs to be Soldat John speaks to the personal significance the Canadian soldiers had for both the community and individuals."
The Fresque de Givenchy
As a tribute to the Canadian soldiers who fought during the First World War, Givenchy-en-Gohelle commissioned a local artist, Pascal Barbier, to create a fresco. To demonstrate that French and Canadian soldiers were brothers-in-arms during the First World War, the fresco includes the image of a Canadian soldier and a French poilu fighting alongside one another. As well, to showcase the destruction caused by the First World War, the fresco depicts the ruined church of Ablain-Saint-Nazaire at Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. The Vimy Monument also features prominently on the fresco as a symbol of peace, liberty, the horrors of war, and the long road to freedom. Interesting to note is that with the exception of the Vimy Monument, the colours that Barbier chose for the fresco reflect the mechanics of war. Barbier selected white for the Vimy Monument so that when cars turn the corner at night, their lights focus on the Canadian memorial.
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In the video below, Pascal Barbier explains the significance of the Fresque de Givenchy.
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Lens' 14-18: Centre international de la Grande Guerre
Following our stop in Givenchy-en-Gohelle, we visited the Lens' 14-18: Centre international de la Grande Guerre. Before touring the exhibit rooms, Blake, Cindy, and Lee asked us to consider the museum's intent, whose voice is heard, and whose voice is missing. After viewing the exhibits, we came together and shared the following observations:
After returning to the vans, Robert, Karen, and Lynzee reflected on their museum experience:
- The museum was text-heavy and somber.
- The museum focused largely on battles, the experiences of combatants, and the overall severity of war.
- Certain battles such as the Battle of Hill 70 were not mentioned.
- The descriptions of German atrocities indicated that the curators considered Germany to be the enemy.
- Civilians' experiences were showcased, but they were not a focus.
After returning to the vans, Robert, Karen, and Lynzee reflected on their museum experience:
- Robert: "The museum was a great way to discover the timeline of the Great War. At the beginning, the displays created a dark and somber mood, but near the end, the displays turned bright. I had a great feeling of empowerment as I walked through the exhibit rooms."
- Karen: "I felt similar to how I felt at the In Flanders Fields Museum: somber and serious. The dark atmosphere and absence of natural light emphasized the mood, but also made me feel a bit overwhelmed and claustrophobic."
- Lynzee: "My experience in Lens was that the museum was dark. I found it had a German perspective. At times, I found it gave compassion to the German soldiers. I also noticed it was the first time the British troops were shown to include Aboriginal, Indian, Sheik, and other cultural groups. I didn't find the museum to be as heavy as others. I found it worked like a book in the fact that it had a beginning, middle, and end to the story. In other words, it talked about before the war, burning during the war, and the rebuilding process after the war."
Key Points to Consider About the Battle of Hill 70
During our visit to the Hill 70 Memorial Park, Lee explained what he considers to be the significance of the 1917 Battle of Hill 70:
Arthur Currie, who replaced Julian Byng as the Commander of the Canadian Corps following the Canadians' success at Vimy Ridge, was ordered to take Lens. The reason for this was that General Haig wanted to keep the Germans in and around Lens so that they would be unable to reinforce the Germans at Passchendaele when the Allies attacked there. Keeping Germans in the Arras sector would also prevent the Germans from attacking the French, who had been fighting since 1914 and had protested for a rest. In order to keep the Germans in the area, the Canadians needed to fool the Germans into thinking that the Canadian Army was in fact bigger than it actually was. To achieve this, the Canadian gunners underwent a physical training regimen to bulk up. This resulted in two Canadian heavy gunners being able to do the job of six! This in turn led to the Canadians being able to fire one gun at the rate of four.
Currie questioned Haig's orders, suggesting an alternative to the British plan. This was a historic moment for Canada in that Currie represented the voice of Canada in France. Currie's suggestion was to fool the Germans into believing that the Canadians were coming into Lens from Vimy, when in fact they planned to take the high ground, hide the munitions behind the slag piles in the area, and implement the same tactics used at Vimy (digging in and forcing the Germans to counterattack).
Currie's plan resulted in Germans mounting over twenty counterattacks; however, the Canadians captured Hill 70, defeating the Germans as well as drawing their attention away from the Third Battle of Ypres.
The Battle of Hill 70 was viewed as a successful operation in killing the enemy, and the strategy implemented during this battle has been used repeatedly in Canadian warfare.
Reference: Kate Charette, “Day 3: Vimy Ridge and Hill 70,” War and the Canadian Experience in France and Flanders, last accessed August 22, 2017, http://franceandflanders2016.weebly.com/day-3.html.
Arthur Currie, who replaced Julian Byng as the Commander of the Canadian Corps following the Canadians' success at Vimy Ridge, was ordered to take Lens. The reason for this was that General Haig wanted to keep the Germans in and around Lens so that they would be unable to reinforce the Germans at Passchendaele when the Allies attacked there. Keeping Germans in the Arras sector would also prevent the Germans from attacking the French, who had been fighting since 1914 and had protested for a rest. In order to keep the Germans in the area, the Canadians needed to fool the Germans into thinking that the Canadian Army was in fact bigger than it actually was. To achieve this, the Canadian gunners underwent a physical training regimen to bulk up. This resulted in two Canadian heavy gunners being able to do the job of six! This in turn led to the Canadians being able to fire one gun at the rate of four.
Currie questioned Haig's orders, suggesting an alternative to the British plan. This was a historic moment for Canada in that Currie represented the voice of Canada in France. Currie's suggestion was to fool the Germans into believing that the Canadians were coming into Lens from Vimy, when in fact they planned to take the high ground, hide the munitions behind the slag piles in the area, and implement the same tactics used at Vimy (digging in and forcing the Germans to counterattack).
Currie's plan resulted in Germans mounting over twenty counterattacks; however, the Canadians captured Hill 70, defeating the Germans as well as drawing their attention away from the Third Battle of Ypres.
The Battle of Hill 70 was viewed as a successful operation in killing the enemy, and the strategy implemented during this battle has been used repeatedly in Canadian warfare.
Reference: Kate Charette, “Day 3: Vimy Ridge and Hill 70,” War and the Canadian Experience in France and Flanders, last accessed August 22, 2017, http://franceandflanders2016.weebly.com/day-3.html.
Hill 70 Memorial Park
Inaugurated this year, the main feature of the Hill 70 Memorial Park is a stone obelisk inscribed with the phrase CANADA 1917. The sword of sacrifice can also been seen on the obelisk.
Due to construction, we were unable to examine all elements of the park; however, we did notice that carved into the concrete walking path are Canadian maple leaves. The park features 1877 maple leaf carvings; each represents a Canadian soldier who fell during the Battle of Hill 70.
Due to construction, we were unable to examine all elements of the park; however, we did notice that carved into the concrete walking path are Canadian maple leaves. The park features 1877 maple leaf carvings; each represents a Canadian soldier who fell during the Battle of Hill 70.
Soldier Biographies
Ben's Soldier
Sapper George Henry Waters
Royal Engineers
256th Tunnelling Company
Maroeuil British Cemetery
Sapper George Henry Waters
Royal Engineers
256th Tunnelling Company
Maroeuil British Cemetery
Zakk's Soldier
Gunner Charles William Boyd
Canadian Garrison Artillery
4th Siege Battery
Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery
Gunner Charles William Boyd
Canadian Garrison Artillery
4th Siege Battery
Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery
"I would first like to mention how incredibly appreciative I am to have been given the privilege of taking part in this personal development tour in France and Flanders: both in studying the soldier I did as well as having been afforded the opportunity to visit his final resting place. As per the historical content of the tour, I chose to focus my personnel file research project on one Charles William Boyd. Gunner Boyd’s name appeared on the Waterborough centotaph near to where I currently live, in Cumberland Bay.
I initially chose him because he was a Boyd—a local surname to which I am related by marriage; however, as I learned later, the Boyds to which Charles belonged were a separate clan. Regardless, this did not affect my yearning to seek out as much information as I could about his personal story. Because he was a gunner (i.e. a private in the artillery), precious little information existed about Charles; luckily however, Lee Windsor’s most recent publication—which is referenced in my soldier bio—rather serendipitously accounts Charles’ last days in startling detail. What’s more is that Lee had once heavily researched another of the three men with whom Charles died. Such a coincidence can only to explained by the interconnectivity of the war effort put forth by these Canadian heroes. Finally visiting Charles’ burial plot in Caberet-Rouge Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery was a sobering experience. Though I have been fortuitous enough to have had undergone the same kind of assignment in Italy in May 2012, that previous experience only helped to better inform my research and considerably heightened both my fascination of and admiration for the task. Seeing Charles buried beside Gaskin, McClaskey and Northrup imparted upon me a warm sense of comradery—knowing that these brothers in arms could rest easy together. Their final moments may not have occurred during the familiar battles that are all too often recounted in isolation (i.e. the Somme, Ypres, Vimy, etc.), but rather this was a perfect example in demonstrating and understanding the historical context that made the FWW so defining: its sheer ubiquity. Their sacrifice simply demonstrates that in this war, combat did not cease when an offensive was “over”; instead, the battlefield was a continuously fluctuating environment of retaliatory fire and leveraging. As such, it can be posited that no single moment during the war was more or less important than another. Certainly those, like Gunner Charles William Boyd, did not die during a “lull” in combat. Every life mattered." |
Karen and Riley's Soldier
Corporal Fredrick Ralph Brooks
5th Canadian Infantry Battalion
Loos British Cemetery
Corporal Fredrick Ralph Brooks
5th Canadian Infantry Battalion
Loos British Cemetery
Riley: "The first emotion I felt when I started presenting my soldier's biography was nervousness. I think this had to do with my intense desire to give justice to the life my soldier, Fredrick Brooks, lived. Once I began presenting, I think some of the nerves went away, especially because I was presenting with my friend and colleague, Karen. I was mostly surprised watching the observers as we presented - I did not expect them to react as emotionally as I did. And yet, many were crying during the presentation, or particularly during the singing at the end. I was also a little surprised I didn't cry, but I feel like, by that point, I had internalized so much that I had already an experience about as visceral as I think I have ever experienced."
"Having returned from our tour of Great War and Second World War sites in Belgium and France I find my perspective on war and remembrance is changed. It is not that I appreciate the sacrifice given by the men and women in a given time and place more than I did before. It is more a fuller understanding of what they must have experienced. The cemeteries, museums, memorials and research filled in theinformation which helped me to fill in some of the details. But more powerful was visiting the towns and talking to the people who inhabited them and shared their remembrance; this helped me understand how our ancestors must have felt.
Delivering the biography itself was an emotional experience. Through my research I got to know something about Earnest Luke. The facts give structure to imaginings of his life and decisions made. The research I did at home was helpful but it wasn’t until I had learned more about the circumstances and conditions under which he lived out his last few months did I truly make a connection with Private Luke. This connection made my biography come to life and I added a piece at the end which was a conversation with him and was quite emotional for me to deliver. When we look at history we often distance ourselves from it in the hopes that we will be less biased in our findings. This experience requires a personal connection and therefore represents a different kind of study. This connection is perfect for helping students become involved with the active part of historical education. This historical relevancy can draw our students in and we can then draw it across to other studies using the historical thinking concepts. It was an honour to participate in the Gregg Centre’s program. I will never forget this experience and the emotions that it brought to the fore. I have studied history for years but I have never had a learning experience as powerful as this." |
Seminar
Before dispersing for the night, Jessica facilitated a short seminar in our hotel's common room. She asked us to reflect on all that we had learned throughout the day and then share one word to describe the day.