Canada’s heritage, presence on the world stage and accomplishments are so often understated and go unnoticed – much like the people themselves. It’s one of the things I love about Canadians – we don’t need to wear sweat-suits or baseball caps made to look like the flag to proclaim who we are. A small pin on the lapel when we are travelling is enough to ensure people know who we are and who we are not.
There have been times though that we have stood up and the world took notice.
Today, April 9, is one of those days in history. It was this day, one hundred years ago, where the collective Canadian spirit rose up in the muddy trenches of France to say ‘we can do this, boys’ and they did. It was the first time that all four Canadian divisions came together as a unit and what the world discovered on that day, was that, when Canadians get together, we can do anything. In the case of the battle of Vimy Ridge, planning, training and tactical innovation on the part of the Canadians combined with their spirit to win the day(s) (the battle took place between the 9th and 12th of April).
One hundred years later, we see the same spirit and accomplishment every day in small, undramatic places. Whether it is a church group who have sponsored and supported a Syrian refugee family to a successful new start in Canada, or the invention of the Canadarm for use by NASA in space, Canadians quietly make the world a better place.
If you are loving all the history this year in Canada, between our celebration of our 150th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge, check out my new History Bites video series: