UVic remembers Vimy Ridge with virtual exhibit
Posted April 2, 2017 7:42 am.
Last Updated April 2, 2017 7:43 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) – This month will mark 100 years since the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and the University of Victoria is choosing this occasion to showcase thousands of historical items from the era as part of a virtual exhibit.
It’s called Victoria to Vimy, and documents the famous battle and the World War I time period with a special focus on the lives of British Columbians both at the front and here at home.
“It was certainly a sad time in our nation’s history, but it was also very much a time when Canadians came together,” says UVic’s director of special collections Lara Wilson.
The exhibit includes nearly 4,000 pieces, including letters, diaries, postcards and other war records from the era.
“We wanted to showcase material related to Vimy, and the other battles that occurred in World War I that Canadians were involved in,” says Wilson.
The battle of Vimy Ridge took place between April 9-12 in 1917, when the Canadian Corps defeated the German Sixth Army in France.
Some have credited the victory with helping to forge this country’s national identity.
