Lieutenant-governor brings Spirit of Vimy to our schools
Educational program, contest focus on Canadians’ pivotal WWI battle
A new educational program and contest that promotes awareness of the Battle of Vimy Ridge was launched Thursday by Alberta Lt.-Gov. Lois Mitchell.
Dozens gathered at the Military Museums of Calgary to celebrate the launch and retrace the battle steps of Canadian soldiers, via a room-sized floor map of the First World War’s battle.
The Battle of Vimy Ridge, marking its centennial in 2017, has been lauded as a pivotal point in Canada’s development as a nation because it showed the ability of our young country to make huge sacrifices and achieve significant success in an international conflict.
But it came at great cost, as more than 10,000 were killed or wounded.
“As a former teacher and proud Canadian, I have a strong interest in sharing the stories, the people and events of our nation’s history,” Mitchell said, noting the new program, called the Spirit of Vimy, is an ideal starting point for that work.
“Our goal is to encourage young Albertans to explore a truly pivotal chapter in our history, to consider the tremendous spirit demonstrated by Canadian soldiers at Vimy, and to bring their own unique spirit and creativity to the task of honouring the contributions of those who fought and fell on our behalf a century ago,” she said.
The contest portion of the Spirit of Vimy program is aimed at Albertans aged 14 to 24.
Entries can take the form of visual artwork, video essays, creative writing, music composition or choreography, but whatever the format, the entry needs to reflect some or all of the characteristics displayed by Canadian soldiers at Vimy.
High-school student Jack Scanlon said he didn’t know much about Vimy Ridge before getting involved in the contest, but he is excited to learn more about the historic battle.
“I think it’s very important to remember the heritage and the important moments that led to Canada being the way it is today,” Scanlon said.
Col. Kirk Gallinger of the Spirit of Vimy said the battle marks a “very momentous occasion” in Canadian history and he is looking forward to viewing contest entries.
“We know that young Albertans out there — whether they’re doing poetry, music, visual arts, whatever medium they choose — have that same level of creativity and they can convey a very strong message,” Gallinger said. “So we’re very excited.” Perseverance, integrity, resilience, teamwork and sportsmanship are some of the key characteristics that can be integrated into contest entries by students, who are also being encouraged to learn about Vimy’s history and explore their own connections to the battle. More details are at SpiritOfVimy.ca.
The Spirit of Vimy is the first project that comes from the lieutenant-governor’s newly created History and Heroes Foundation.