For Canadians the taking of Vimy Ridge stands as a great feat of arms, an exceptional example of courage and sacrifice, and an important milestone in the development of their nation. Vimy has also become a place of remembrance dedicated to those soldiers who died in France and who have no known grave.
After two unsuccessful Allied attemps to dislodge the Germans from thisheavily fortified height, the four Canadian divisions, fighting together for the first time, seized the ridge on 12 April 1917 after four days of intens fighting. Meticulous preparation, the use of advanced technology, teamwork, and the sacrifice of thousands of Canadian lives produced this remarkable result. It was an important turning point for Canada in the war.
A site of victory but also of death. Vimy is a place of remembrance marked by the towering work of Canadian sculptor Walter S. Allward. His distinctively modernistic design poses grieving figures against two pylons of limestone quarried at Trau. Inscribed on the monument are the names and ranks of the 11,285 missing Canadians who died in France during the Great War. This memorial park, the legacy of an agreement between France and Canada, honours those soldiers and ensures that their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada
Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
Gouvernement du Canada - Government of Canada