‘This is an important day’
Vimy Ridge ceremony held in New Waterford
The big events may have been in France and Ottawa, but a moving memorial service at a local legion was more than enough to take area veterans back to the battlefields of yesteryear.
On Sunday, official ceremonies marking the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge were held at both the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France and at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.
But while those events were attended by the likes of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Prince Charles and sons William and Harry, and French President Francois Hollande, a group of local veterans, legion members and others gathered in New Waterford at the Royal Canadian Legion branch 15 for their own Cape Breton tribute to the battle that helped shape Canada’s national identity.
Those in attendance included Canadian veterans who served during the Second World War, the Korean War and in other more recent peacekeeping initiatives in Africa, the Middle East and Afghanistan.
Following the singing of the national anthem and a moment of silence in memory of those who gave their lives in the line of duty, veteran George McLellan addressed the gathering to acknowledge both the significance of Vimy Ridge and all of the other conflicts in which Canadians served.
“This is an important day — even though it was 100 years ago, it’s as important to recognize Vimy as it is to recognize Korea and Afghanistan and the veterans of modern day,” McLellan told the gathering of about 60 people.
“If we close our eyes and use our imagination you can see these soldiers dressed in their khaki uniforms, rifles slung over their shoulders and the distinct wide-brimmed helmets perched on their heads — they’re emerging from their filthy trenches trudging through the boot-sucking mud, passing the skeletons of trees and the shell holes filled with blood and surrounded by the horrible noises of war.”
During the ceremonies, the important role of the Nova Scotia Highlanders, a regiment that included a great number of Cape Breton soldiers, was acknowledged again and again.
McLellan said it was the Highlanders’ C (Halifax) and D (Cape Breton) companies that successfully, although with many casualties, stormed Hill 145 (the highest point along Vimy Ridge) and forced the enemy to retreat, thus ending the battle.
At the time, the Highlanders were under the command of Baddeck native Capt. Percival Anderson, who survived the battle but not the war as he was killed at Passchendaele.
One of the local veterans who attended the New Waterford ceremony was Ozzie Landry, a veteran of the Korean War.
“I think it’s very important to keep young people educated about meaningful historical events such as the
Battle of Vimy Ridge — that’s why we (veterans) get out into the classrooms to tell the kids about it,” said Landry, who hinted that he might not have been quite old enough when he enlisted.
“And lots of them already know a lot about our history — but we have to keep remembering what happened.”
And what happened at Vimy Ridge was that for the first time Canadian soldiers from across the country fought together in the same battle. And, the fact that those troops helped attain a crucial victory left the battle with a legacy of important historical significance for Canada.