Legion commemorates 100th anniversary of Vimy

One hundred years to the day, members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 28 and members of the public stood to commemorate the Battle of Vimy Ridge on April 9 at the Humboldt cenotaph.

More than 650,000 Canadians served during the First World War with 10,000 killed and wounded at the Battle of Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917.

“It’s one of those indications that people can rise to the cause or the call even when it’s as disastrous as a war time battle,” says Rev. Al Hingley who was proud to conduct the service right in Humboldt.Before the battle, Canadian soldiers were very much tied to the British ideal of King and Empire.

After the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Canadians fought for Canada.

According to the Canadian War Museum, “for the first time all four Canadian divisions attacked together: men from all regions of  Canada were present at the battle. Brigadier-General A.E. Ross declared after the war, ‘in those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation.’”

Military historians say that Canada’s success at Vimy Ridge was based on the preparation and complexity of the Canadian attack.

“Each individual soldier knew what was going to happen, not just the officers,” says Hingley.

“Each individual knew and they would advance, there would be a barrage of artillery, and then they had so many minutes to advance so far and then stop because there would be another barrage.”

Four battalions during the First World War were from Saskatchewan, including the 107th and 114th First Nations Battalions, to which there would be Humboldt and area soldiers attached. However, Hingley is not aware of any Humboldt soldiers who fought at Vimy Ridge because that information is not readily available.

Also part of the ceremony were members of the RCACC Humboldt Legion Cadet Corps who marched from the cenotaph to the Humboldt Legion.

Sergeant Blaze Joa with the Corps. says the ceremony makes him feel proud to be Canadian and proud to be a part of the ceremony.

The march was their way to respect the men who fought at the battle, he says.

Over the sea at the Vimy Memorial in France, members of Humboldt Collegiate Institute laid a wreath from the #28 branch of the Royal Canadian Legion in Humboldt at the commemoration ceremony.

Legion President Niki Sokolan says the battle was an important part of history and she is very happy that Humboldt students got to be a part of it in France.

“It’s nice to be able to pay tribute and respect to the people who fought in that war.”