Carolyn Boyle says even though nearly a century has passed hearing what happened at Vimy Ridge still gives her goosebumps.
The 18-year-old master Warrant officer with the Thunder Bay Army Cadet Corps joined fellow cadets as well as cadets from the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment at the commemoration of the battle of Vimy Ridge at city hall on Saturday. It marked the 95th anniversary of the battle that took place during the First World War.
Vimy was the first time all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force joined in battle, elevating the fight to a national symbol of achievement and sacrifice.
The battle took place from April 9 to the 12. The main objective of the Canadian Corps was to take German occupied high ground along an escarpment. More than 3,590 Canadians were killed and 7,000 wounded.
She said it’s important to hold this event in order to remember that sacrifice.
“(The soldiers) did it to protect their families and their friends,” Boyle said. “These stories give me goosebumps for sure. It makes me remember.”
She said she stays with cadets not only because it’s fun but also it helped he become a better person. The discipline helped to give her more direction in her life. For that, she said she glad that she joined.
Maj. Dwight Kremer said it’s almost been a hundred years since the battle and after all that time there’s no veterans left to continue on the tradition of remembering Canada’s history. He said it’s important that the younger generation know about the past in order to learn from it.
“It was one of the most defining moments in our history,” Kremer said. “The most instrumental odds can be overcome with determination and planning. The British and the French couldn’t take it they gave it to the Canadians as Canadians. They put the effort in and they did it.”
To further honour the days when the Canadians pushed back the Germans, Thunder Bay Mayor Keith Hobbs declared a proclamation to recognize Vimy Ridge this week.
“We have to remember those who served this country and gave their lives for our freedom,” Hobbs said. “These cadets that came out today are everything that’s great about this country. They are a fine example of the future.”
