Memorial Project

     The Canadian National Vimy monument is a very interesting structure because it reflects a subject matter that is not frequently addressed. The monument commemorates Canadian soldiers that lost their lives fighting in the First World War. Located near Arras, France, the Vimy monument overlooks the Douai plain which was the site of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. This battle took place in 1917 and marked the coming together of the four Canadian Expeditionary Forces for the first time. The huge sculpture rests in the center of the isolated battle field where visitors can come and reflect on the loss of not only Canadian servicemen, but all of the soldiers that were casualties of World War I. 

     The monument was designed by the Toronto-native sculptor an architect Walter Seymour Allward. Allward’s memorial was erected because he was the winner of a national competition to find an appropriate structure to pay tribute to the fallen Canadian soldiers by the Canadian Battlefields Memorials Commission. After his design was chosen as the winner in 1924, the commission decided on the Vimy Ridge battlefield as the location for the monument because the Battle of Vimy Ridge does an excellent job of embodying Canadian unity and sacrifice during World War I. 

     The memorial its self contains several different levels, messages, inscriptions, and sculptures. For the most part, the gigantic monument is made of limestone and concrete with steel reinforcements. Because of the massive amounts of limestone, time, and effort that had to go into the building of the monument, construction took up to eleven years. The memorial’s size made it a huge job so sculptors, engineers, landscape artists, and maintenance workers were hired to work on the project. It took this long to complete mostly because the limestone was imported from Croatia. This does not seem so difficult in today’s times, but back in the 20s and 30s, it was a real hassle to transport blocks of limestone large enough to become gargantuan monuments.  After construction was completed, there was a huge dedication and over six thousand Canadians made a pilgrimage to see the ceremony.

      When you approach the monument, the first thing you see is a wall with soldiers representing Canada’s unyielding defense. As  you move through the memorial, you are surrounded by sculptures either in mourning or with remorseful expressions. The most impacting of these figures is the mourning Mother Canada. Looking over the Vimy Ridge, Mother Canada represents the sorrow of the Canadian people for the tragic loss of life during the war. The main tone presented by the memorial is the desire for peace. This is represented through the inclusion of several doves, olive branches, laurels, figures of several downcast soldiers, and the Breaking of the Swords sculpture. The Breaking of the Swords depicts a soldier breaking his own weapon which show Canada’s penitence for the happenings of World War I. Another significant feature of the memorial is the name inscriptions around the base of the monuments. To see the number of names around the monument really lets the visitors know what a huge impact the war had not only on Canada, but the other countries that were involved in the war. 

     This is a fantastic memorial because it is packed with emotion. Its isolated location allows visitors to be fully invested in the subject matter and really reflect in peace. The fact that it is located where the loss of life actually took place also has a huge impact on those that visit it. Similarly to the Vietnam memorial in Washington DC, the names inscribed on the monument gives a very personal perspective on the War. Even though it is such a dark and gloomy subject matter, the monument does have uplifting aspects so the visitors do not leave completely down hearted. The various symbols of peace spread out throughout the memorial show how the Canadians have learned from their mistakes and can move foreword from this tragic loss of life. The Canadian National Vimy monument is an amazing work of art not only for the incredible sculptures but also for the range of meanings it encapsulates.