Journal Staff
A special cenotaph ceremony and commemorative dinner will be held in Sarnia to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
The April 2 event is a fundraiser for the Vimy Foundation and the Sarnia Historical Society.
Four divisions of the Canadian Corps fought together for the first time on April 9, 1917 resulting in one of the most important Western Front victories of the First World War.
Vimy has since become known as “The battle that forged a nation.”
“The troops were highly trained and prepared for this particular battle. That was significant,” said Randy Evans, a local historian and one of the event’s speakers.
“Canada was developing a reputation as a superior fighting force on the Allied side. Vimy Ridge solidified that reputation.”
The TurnerMoore 100th anniversary Vimy Dinner commemorations begin with a 4 p.m. ceremony at the Sarnia Cenotaph. Wreaths will be laid in memory of four local men killed at Vimy Ridge: Frederick Johnson, David Kerr, Roy Lumley and David Montgomery.
Dinner will follow at the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 62, headquarters on Front Street, followed by guest speakers Randy Evans and Tom Slater, authors of the War Remembrance Project, and Lt. Col. Mark Poland, Commanding Officer of the Royal Highland Fusiliers.
The local accounting firm TurnerMooreLLP is the primary sponsor.
Tickets, $40, are available by contacting Historical Society president Ron Realesmith at 519-328-5009.
