Remembering the Battle of Vimy Ridge, 109 Years Later

Remembering the Battle of Vimy Ridge, 109 Years Later by Maj (ret’d) CORNELIU, CHISU, CD, PMSC FEC, CET, P.Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East There are moments in history when a nation does not merely act—it becomes. For Canada, that moment came on the cold, scarred heights of Vimy Ridge in April 1917. Between April 9 and 12, more than 100,000 Canadians fought together for the first time as a unified corps. They faced a fortified German position that had defeated previous Allied assaults and was widely considered impregnable. Yet, through meticulous preparation, disciplined execution, and collective resolve, the Canadians did what others could not: they took the ridge. Vimy was not simply a battlefield victory. It was the forging of a national identity. The cost was staggering. Canada suffered over 10,600 casualties in just four days, including 3,598 killed. April 9 remains the bloodiest day in Canadian military history. These were not professional soldiers alone—they were citizens in uniform. Farmers, labourers, students, immigrants. French and English Canadians, Indigenous soldiers, and newcomers all fought side by side. In their shared sacrifice, they revealed the essence of Canada before it fully knew itself. Historians have long argued that Vimy marked the moment Canada stepped out from Britain’s shadow and asserted its own capability and confidence on the world stage. Brigadier-General Alexander Ross famously described witnessing “the birth of a nation.” That phrase endures not because it is poetic, but because it captures a profound truth: Canada emerged from Vimy more unified, more self-assured, and more conscious of its destiny. Yet the lesson of Vimy is not found in symbolism alone. It lies in how the victory was achieved. The Canadian Corps did not rely on luck or sheer courage. They rehearsed relentlessly. They mapped every trench, studied every metre of terrain, and coordinated artillery with unprecedented precision. The creeping barrage—moving in timed increments ahead of advancing troops—allowed infantry to follow closely behind a curtain of fire. This was not reckless sacrifice; it was disciplined innovation. That Canadian approach—thorough, methodical, intelligent—became a hallmark of subsequent victories. Under the leadership of Arthur Currie, Canadian forces refined tactics that emphasized planning over impulse and effectiveness over spectacle. From Hill 70 to Amiens, the Canadian Corps earned a reputation not just for bravery, but for competence. And that may be Vimy’s most enduring lesson. Because today, Canada faces a different kind of battlefield—one shaped by geopolitical instability, economic uncertainty, and shifting global power dynamics. The war in Europe has shattered illusions about lasting peace on the continent. The Middle East remains volatile. Great power competition is intensifying. The rules-based international order, long taken for granted, is under strain. At home, Canadians are grappling with economic pressures, housing challenges, and questions about national resilience. We are no longer insulated from the turbulence of the world. Geography alone cannot protect us. History reminds us that complacency is not a strategy. Just months after Vimy, the world was struck by the Spanish influenza, which claimed millions of lives globally and deeply affected Canada. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in global systems and tested national cohesion. Each crisis—military or medical—has reinforced the same truth: resilience is built before the crisis, not during it. Vimy teaches us that success is never accidental. It is the product of preparation, unity, and leadership. Today, that means strengthening Canada’s defence capabilities—not as an act of aggression, but as a responsibility in an increasingly dangerous world. It means investing in our armed forces, modernizing our infrastructure, and ensuring that Canada can contribute meaningfully to collective security alongside its allies. But it also means something deeper. The soldiers at Vimy did not fight as isolated individuals. They fought as Canadians—with a shared sense of purpose and duty. That civic responsibility must not be lost in our time. A strong nation is not built solely through policy; it is sustained through the character of its citizens. We must rediscover that sense of collective obligation—to one another and to the country we share. In an age of division and uncertainty, unity is not a luxury. It is a necessity. As we reflect on Easter 1917, we should remember not only the courage of those who advanced across that shattered ridge, but the discipline and preparation that made their success possible. We should remember that nationhood is not a fixed achievement, but an ongoing responsibility. And we should ask ourselves a difficult but necessary question: are we living up to the legacy they left us? Are our leaders demonstrating the foresight and resolve required for the challenges ahead? Are we, as citizens, prepared to shoulder our share of responsibility? The answers will define the Canada of tomorrow. Because Vimy is not just history. It is a standard. A reminder that in moments of uncertainty, Canadians have risen—not through rhetoric, but through action. Not through division, but through unity. Not through chance, but through preparation. The men who fought at Vimy Ridge did their duty. Now, the question is whether we are prepared to do ours. Lest we forget.