vimyridge

Special Publication Hits The Streets

Watch for it May 11 and 13. The Return to Vimy Ridge special section will be distributed along with the weekend copies of the Port Perry Star, Oshawa This Week, Clarington This Week, Whitby This Week and the Ajax & Pickering News Advertiser.

AND...the Metroland Durham Region Media Group is offering for sale a special Vimy Ridge CD which contains nearly 300 photos from the Return to Vimy trip, video clips from the trip and a PDF of the 24-page Return to Vimy special section.  For information on purchasing the CD email Paul Futhey.

The aftermath of Vimy

Students from Durham region have arrived safely home from their expedition to Vimy Ridge. The halls of high schools are sprinkled with Parisian handbags, Belgian chocolates, and key chains from London.

Almost a week later the jet lag has subsided, but the message of remembrance seems to resonate with teachers and students.

“It was a really powerful trip,” said Cathy MacDonald, a teacher at Fr. Leo J Austin. “It was the ultimate History lesson.”

Andrea Titus was able to grasp the enormity of the event when she was at Vimy.

“You really saw how many people cared,” said the Grade 10 student. “It’s not just us anymore – it’s everyone.”

Miss. Titus believes that representing a soldier made the experience much stronger.

“You kind of became them,” she said. “It’s a different kind of learning – but much appreciated.”

Andrew Stokes, another Grade 10 student from Austin not only had a soldier to represent, he also had a family request to fulfill.

His grandfather asked him to take his great-grandfather’s ring to Vimy, and bury it there.

“It was pretty emotional,” he said.

Mr Stokes great-grandfather, James Goodwin, fought at Passchendaele and lost his leg during the battle. Mr. Goodwin made it back home to Canada – but Mr. Stokes grandfather asked him to pay tribute on his behalf.

Mr. Stokes found a special spot in Cemetery Two, and buried his great-grandfather’s war amputee ring.

“It was kind of just a feeling of completion,” he said. “Like I was putting things at peace.”

Ms. MacDonald repeatedly mentions the impact a trip like this has on a student.

“I think it gives them a deeper perspective,” she said. “On the history, but also in their own lives.”

Trip organizer Dave Robinson is still recovering from the whirlwind of events – but was impressed with the results.

“Seeing the kids took my breath away,” he said.. “I shall always remember the parade of students down the hill. It was a great moment for Canadian History.”

Mr. Robinson wished that more people could have witnessed the earlier memorial in the day at Vimy Ridge.

“It’s too bad that the Canadian people did not see the ceremony at Cemetery Two,” he said.

The ceremony in the morning was a quieter affair with only the students and dignitaries allowed. Each student dressed in their war replica uniform, marched in and stood behind the headstone of a soldier.

Row upon row of green uniforms stood at attention for about an hour as students shared tributes to their soldier. A time capsule made by a Port Perry High School class was presented to the French. Inside were the best of all the student projects to honour their soldier.

Ms. MacDonald agrees that the Ceremony with the students in Cemetery Two seemed to evoke a more somber moment than the rededication later in the day.

Each of her students had brought a piece of paper with some thoughts about the soldier they were representing.

“I just asked them to read it over privately and remember why they were there”, she said. “When they stood in front of the headstones – it was really powerful.”

Mr. Robinson credits the poignancy of the day to students researching their soldier beforehand.

“I think Durham Region can be extremely proud of the students,” he said. “Our students got it. And I think it’s through their hard work and preparation.”

We're tired and we have no money left. Must be time to come home.

“Where are we going today sir?” asks a student at the back of the bus.

“First on a boat cruise and then to the Louvre,” he replied.

“Oh good I need a bathroom,” he replied.

“Not the loo” cried another. “The Louvre. Where the Mona Lisa is.”

“Ohhhhh.”  He said. “Cool.”

It’s the students’ last day before they head back to Canada and they are wrapping up their tour in Paris.

“Paris is amazing,” said Jessica Budd-Whitbread, a student from Central Collegiate High School in Oshawa.  “It’s huge. The buildings are so much more different than they are at home. We, we have little like flat buildings and these are awesome, big, amazing.”

Hot spots on the trip were Napoleon’s Mausoleum, the Champs-Elysees, the Louvre, and the Notre Dame Cathedral.

At the base of Notre Dame, Pineridge student Robb Phillips is in awe.

“I’m really into the architecture in which it was created in,” he said. “Like the flying buttresses and the seams in the ceiling. And just the fact that it’s so enormous and beautiful for the time it was created.”

For both of these students it’s the first time they’ve traveled this far from home.

Miss Budd-Whitbread’s furthest journey was to Montreal. For Mr. Phillips it was Florida, but he was only six and claims he doesn’t remember much.

Now that they’re world travelers – it seems likely they’ll be planning more adventures in the future.

“Oh for sure,” said Mr. Phillips.  “I’m coming back to Vimy Ridge in 10 years for the 100th. For sure I am. It’s just meeting all these new people. Like they’re so awesome and great. It’s really cool.”

As the students tore through the department stores and trinket shops for last minute gifts and souvenirs, it’s hard to imagine that only a few days ago they were representing a soldier at Vimy Ridge.  Miss. Budd-Whitbread says that the history lessons this week were even better than shopping.

“My favourtie part was visiting the D-Day beaches,” she said.  “That was, it was very awesome.  Some of the museums we went to  - (it was) just imaging the fact that it had been full of war just like fifty year ago it was – very amazing.”
The experience was similar for Mr. Phillips.

“Probably (it was), visiting the beaches,” he said.  “I got my little vials of sand…I also found a former Phillips gravestone at our last cemetery we were at so that was pretty emotional”

The day drew to an end in the artsy section of town called Montmartre, where artists such as Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh once gathered inspiration.  The students’ cash, and feet, were exhausted and there was only one thing left to do: pack for the flight early tomorrow morning.

Pictures from France

A few last pictures from France

 

Vimy is over - but the connection endures.

The 90th Anniversary of Vimy is now also in the past. The students are enjoying a less hectic day visiting the beaches of Normandy, learning about the Second World War and enjoying a sunny day on the ocean.

Beyond the memories, a piece of Canada was left at Vimy yesterday – a time capsule.

“Guided by their teachers this time capsule it a tribute by today’s Canadian youth to remember a battle that it 90 years old today,” said Nancy Hamer-Strahl, the Port Perry High School teacher that oversaw the work on the time capsule.

Each student created a project of art, video or writing to remember their solider by. The best ones were put into the time capsule presented to the French at Vimy Ridge.

But he process has brought interesting connections between the students and some of the families, of the soldiers they represent.

“You have been touched by a life,” said Mrs. Hamer-Strahl. “May you carry their memory for the rest of your life.”

Curtis Gibbons from Cartwright Secondary School got the chance to connect with his soldier’s family in Ingersoll Ontario before he left, and then again at Vimy. He met the great-nephew of his soldier, Thomas Cussons. In fact, he was named after his soldier as well.
“Well we first met him in Ingersoll there. And then we just tried to meet up with him when we got here, and we didn’t think we were going to be able to – but we found him pretty easy,” said Mr. Gibbons.

“That was a wonderful idea,” said Linda Ross, a teacher from Cartwright. “Just seeing how young the people were and seeing their faces and seeing the battlefield and craters and trenches. You can read about and learn about those things and look at those pictures all you want but to actually see them and walk through them it’s a total – total different experience.”

Ms. Ross took Mr. Gibbons and his mother to Ingersoll to meet Mr. Cussons just three days before they left. They went to some local war memorials for the soldier, Thomas Cussons.

“It’s shown me side of Curtis that I never knew existed which really underlines the importance of living history instead of jest reading it in a text book,” said Ms. Ross.

Thomas was taking us to the memorials for his uncle. And Cutis says I think I’d like to ride with him I don’t want him to ride by himself. And that was just so touching to me that here’s a quiet kid that hardly ever speaks in class. You know and he was sitting there and talking to him one on one and normally you know Curtis isn’t one to speak up or really to generate a conversation and he just seemed so interested - Looking him in the eye, asking him questions. There was such a connection for him I was totally shocked.

“He just had so much to say about his, about my soldier, and his great uncle,” said Mr. Gibbons.

There weren’t a lot of students who were able to connect with someone that their soldier was related to.

“It’s just really cool how he like, there’s somebody I can meet and learn about his great uncle,” he said. “Like a lot of people didn’t get to meet anybody, or they just had the Internet. I don’t know, that doesn’t really do anything.”

Not only did this prove to be a positive event for the students – it also seems to have made an impact with the families of the soldier’s that fell at Vimy.

“It’s an honour, a very great honour to represent my great-uncle. Marvelous,” Mr. Cussons chuckles. “I guess awesome (is what) they say today”

“He just thought it was great,” said Mr. Gibbons. “When we went down there his son was there too and he said we just made his day, just to meet him.”

The hope is that the connections the students made to their soldiers will stay with them as they continue to visit these historical sights, and in the years to come.

“I truly think that this trip has revived history for another generation,” said Ms. Ross. She is eager to have Mr. Gibbons and her other student on the trip share their experience with her other classes.

Mr. Gibbons is only in Grade Nine, but Ms. Ross hopes as he strolls along the beaches, perhaps he’ll have a better idea of what soldiers experienced in the First and Second World War.

“Yeah it makes it more like, real,” said Mr. Gibbons. “I don’t know, you can just kinda picture it easier.”

Durham Students represent our fallen at Vimy's 90th Anniversary

PLENTY MORE PHOTOS HERE

“You’ll never know until you really stand there,” said Aprelle Powell, a student at Donald A Wilson in Whitby.  “You never truly know what it’s like until you stand there.”

Yesterday was April the 9th. Three thousand students got up at the crack of dawn to remember Canada’s heroes on Vimy Ridge.

Durham Daily News, April 10, 2007

“Today you’re saying this is the day we’ve been preparing for,” said Miss Powell.

Thousands gathered to witness the rededication of the Vimy Monument to Canada on its 90th Anniversary. The Vimy Monument by Canada’s very own Walter Allward was glowing in the warm sun today. 

But all of a sudden the spectators eyes were on the living history of the day – the students as they emerged from behind the ridge.  3,600 students from across Canada made the pilgrimage to Vimy yesterday to give the soldiers that fell at Vimy a voice.

“I’m walking on history,” said Beau Mondesir from Brebuf College School in Toronto. “Awesome.”

Each student was assigned a soldier to represent on the day. But they also had done projects on their soldiers.  Students researched who they were, what or whom they loved. Today at Vimy they wore a replica green jacket with their soldiers name taped above their left breast pocket.

“It means a lot like, you look back and you look around and you think way back then there were people around fighting and trying to save other people lives and fighting for what they believe in and suddenly you’re here representing them,” said Miss Powell.

Before the main ceremony at Vimy Monument got underway, the students spent their morning in Cemetery Two.  Each student stood behind a soldier’s grave and represented the dead.

“You’re here because of them and you’re able to do anything you want because of them and they weren’t afraid to give their life,” she said.  “Even knowing that they had tons of family back home they could be doing something different. They could be going on to fulfill their dreams but instead they gave up their lives for us.”

Brandon Heenan from Port Perry High School was adorned with a maple leaf bandana around his head and small flags woven through his hair before the ceremonies.

“Yeah at first I’m like oh this it’s like just a ridge right,” he said. That the Canadians took it, it’s just another battle. But I realize now that it’s a very big ridge. The Canadians must have tried really hard to get it. The French tried they couldn’t get it. The English tried they couldn’t get it Canada was the only one that ended up getting this ridge.”

Queen Elizabeth the Second was in attendance, along with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Jacques Chirac.

“It was a stunning victory,” said Her Majesty.  “The Canadians turned Vimy Ridge into a source of inspiration. After two and a half year of deadly stalemate, it now seemed possible that the Allies would prevail and peace would be restored.”

As the students marched today it was as if their soldiers came to life again, assaulting the hill with a barrage of green jackets.  Their connections to their soldiers are strong.

“I researched him and it feels like I kinda know him personally,” said Mr. Heenan.

Instead of a somber ceremony the Canadians marched down the hill cheering and waving to thousands of spectators. While the students were anxiously waiting on the far side of the hill they even manages to get the whole line of soldier to participate in the wave to bide the time until they began their march down.  At the beginning it felt more like Canada Day on Parliament Hill rather than a Remembrance Day service.

After the Queen’s address a young violinist played a breathtaking song in the shadow of the Mother of Canada on Vimy Monument. A choir, led by Susan Aglukark sang and as they were finishing four low flying French Military jets soared above the crowd.

As the flocks of students made their way back to the busses they stopped for their chance to go up on the Memorial and run their fingers along the 11,000 names etched on the walls of Vimy.

“You’re thinking wow and it’s actually come and the trip just started now it’s almost over,” said Miss Powell.  “But you kinda stand here today thinking I’m here to represent someone, and everyone’s going to see me do this and you’re pretty proud of yourself.”

Photos from Vimy Ridge re-dedication ceremony

Nearly 700 students from across Durham Region were among the 3,600 Canadian students taking part in re-dedication ceremonies marking the 90th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge today. PLENTY MORE PHOTOS HERE

 

Photos from Ypres, Belgium

Students from Durham Region visited the cemeteries and war memorials of Ypres, France on Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007.

A solemn day for Vimy Students

YPRES, BELGIUM -- The day began in a shroud of fog this morning as the students began their tour of war memorials from the First World War in Belgium.

“It’s kind of cool with all the mist and fog,” said Emma Alpe of Cartwright High School in Blackstock. “But it’s kind of making it real. Kind of spooky.

“We’ve had the luxury of having sunlight for the entire trip and then just today when we go to visit all of the memorials it’s very solemn and foggy and it’s a completely different experience than it would be if it were sunny out,” said Madison Lemesurier of McLaughlin Collegiate in Oshawa.

They stopped at Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth Cemetery in the world with almost 12,000 dead buried there. They also went to Hill 62, St. Julian’s Memorial, and Essex Memorial, where John McCrae wrote Flanders Fields in a bunker.

“I’m hoping that they’ll get a little perspective of how many men fought in the war and just to experience first hand what they read about in the text books in the class room,” said Flora Fung, a history teacher at Central Collegiate High School in Oshawa.

“It’s kind of scary. I can’t picture myself going and being in the war at my age,” said Miss Alpe. “I don’t think I’d be able to. I can hardly stand being away from home this long.”

“When you see the actual places they were fighting and the actual conditions that they were fighting (in). It was probably a lot worse than today,” said Miss Lemesurier. “We only have fog and they had rain and all sorts of different stuff, and it’s just really putting it in perspective for us.”

The somber weather and mood of the students has really prepared them for the rededication of the Vimy Monument on its 90th anniversary tomorrow.

“I’ve been waiting for, well we’ve had a countdown going on at our school and I’ve been waiting a long time for the actual day of Vimy Ridge,” said Miss Lemesurier. “And we’re all very excited at our school. We’ve all been researching our soldiers and we’re all really looking forward to representing them tomorrow and it’s exciting.”

For the teachers on the trip, it’s a chance to see the stress from a year of planning pay off.

“It’s almost like the end of the journey,” said Ms. Fung. “And it’s great to see the students enjoy themselves. But on the other hand as a history teacher this has been amazing to see them experience it – it’s like bringing history alive. It leaps off the pages of the textbook. They’re living and breathing and walking on the same ground that you know famous people and soldiers have walked on. When they see the battlefields tomorrow I think it will hit home for them.”

The day ended in Ypres at the Menin Gate for the Last Post Ceremony. The Menin Gate holds the names of some 35,000 soldiers who where never given a proper burial are etched in its walls.

Busloads of Canadians swarmed around the gate with their Canadian flags as the buglers came out. One Canadian student read a poem to the crowd. He had a photocopy of his soldier’s picture pinned to his chest – the one he’ll be representing at Vimy.

Today’s Ceremony ended with the crowd singing Canada’s national anthem.

“I’ve never felt so patriotic in my life,” said a passing student. “Didn’t it give you chills?” he asked his friend.

 

Only a warm up to tomorrow’s events.

Canadians occupy Brugge

Our Birthday girl in Brugge. Students took a tour of the canal while in Brugge Well the Canadians schedules are starting to conjoin.

The victim of this union was the historical downtown of Brugge, Belgium., which we proceeded to occupy every tour boat on the canals that weave through this town. With a time span of only five hours, the students were only allowed a mere half hour or so to grab some tasty treats and souvenirs. The city didn’t run out of chocolate – but my husband and I went to two waffle cafes, and the Canadians had wiped them out of their supply! From all I heard the students were charmed by more than the food here. There is a poetry to everything here from the castles and cathedrals, but also the quantity of horse drawn carriages and bicycles outnumbering cars.