Vimy Ridge Memorial  Parks Canada

Earlier in the war, French and British assaults failed to take control of Vimy Ridge. This long, low ridge in northern France was an important position because it linked two parts of the German front lines which the British and French wanted to separate. In the spring of 1917 the job was given to the Canadian Corps. After five days, the Canadians had captured a lot of ground. They gained more ground, guns, and prisoners than any previous British attack had done. The Canadians were very proud of their success! Unfortunately, this great achievement had a price: 3598 Canadian soldiers died and 7004 were wounded. 

Vimy Ridge was later chosen as the site of Canada's National Memorial in Europe. The physical evidence of the battlefield has been preserved, and a monument to the Canadian dead now rises from the highest point on Vimy Ridge, 

Next of Kin Memorial Avenue, Saskatoon  Parks Canada

 dominating the surrounding countryside. The names of the 11,285 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives in the war and who have no known grave site, are inscribed on the monument. The battlefield and monument commemorate both Canada's role in the First World War and the valour of all Canadians who fought in the conflict. Canadians who lost their lives in the First World War have also been honoured in their own communities across Canada by numerous local war memorials and even tree-lined "Roads of Remembrance," such as Saskatoon's Next of Kin Memorial Avenue. 

In 1997, the Battlefield and National Memorial at Vimy Ridge was designated a National Historic Site, as a further reminder of the importance of the sacrifice and contribution made by Canadians in the First World War. Next of Kin Memorial Avenue, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is also designated a national historic site.