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On the anniversary of one of Canada’s greatest military successes, a more than 100-year-old statue honouring sacrifices made during the First World War was unveiled at its new home — a Winnipeg cemetery.
“This statue does not belong to any one organization or government alone. It belongs to the people, to history, and to those who served,” said Shawn Nault, Minister of Red River Métis Veterans for the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) at a press conference in the cemetery on Thursday, marking Vimy Ridge day.
“In this spirit, the MMF made the decision to gift this statue to the city of Winnipeg, ensuring its long-term protection and public stewardship,” the minister continued.
The MMF assumed stewardship of the memorial when it moved into the former BMO building at Portage and Main.
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It will now sit at Brookside Cemetery’s Field of Honour, one of Canada’s oldest military burial sites, where more than 10,000 soldiers are buried.
“Today it stands among fellow veterans in a place dedicated to remembrance where its meaning is perhaps even more profound. The monument tells, and will forever tell, the story of service, dedication, and sacrifice,” said Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham.
The memorial was originally erected in 1923 by BMO to honour 231 of its employees who died during the First World War. It was modelled after Capt. Wynn Bagnall, who worked at a Winnipeg branch and served in the 58th Brigade of the Canadian Field Artillery.
As of Thursday, it is dedicated to all soldiers who fought in the First World War.
“With no doubt, this monument has for the people of Winnipeg represented sacrifice. Not only of individual soldiers who went and fought,” said Gillingham.
“It represents all that was called upon from this community and other communities across our nation. To support and stand up for the values of freedom and democracy,” he added.
The Battle of Vimy Ridge is widely regarded as one of the Canadian military’s most significant successes during the First World War.
As of Easter 1917 the war had waged on for over two years, and both sides were at a standstill. The Allies were looking to claim Arras, France – and Canadians were tasked with capturing Vimy Ridge in the nearby community of Vimy.
Tens of thousands of troops advanced into action on Easter Monday. At its end, almost 3,600 Canadian soldiers died, in addition to over 10,600 casualties, according to Veterans Affairs Canada. These Allied losses were not in vain, as German forces surrendered the French territory following the four-day battle.
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