Birth of a Nation: the 100 Year Anniversary of Vimy Ridge

April 9, 2017 marked the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

170,000 Canadians fought. 3,598 were killed and another 7,000 wounded. In a single day.

Their sacrifice and heroism in the face of incredible danger was a nation-defining moment.

“One hundred years ago, Canada came of age. Our soldiers’ valour at the battle of Vimy Ridge proved to the world that we were a nation, ready and willing to take the enemy head-on.”

– Lesley Anderson, Ancestry Family Historian and Content Specialist

What’s amazing is that one million Canadians are likely related to a soldier from the infamous Battle but don’t know about it. That’s 27,000 soldiers, brothers, and heroes who were forgotten.

Their legacy was the birth of a nation. Their photos have faded, but their memory lives on – in stories, in images, and in Canadian military records from World War I.

Do you have a Vimy Ridge hero in your family? Find their legacy on Ancestry.