CANADIAN NATIONAL VIMY MEMORIAL RESTORATION PROJECT
The Canadian National Vimy Memorial was erected by Canadians in honour of their countrymen who participated in the Great War, particularly those, some 66 000, who lost their lives. The monument bears the names of 11 285 Canadian soldiers who died in France and who have no known graves. Construction of the memorial began in 1925 and was completed and the monument unveiled eleven years later in July 1936. The land on which the monument was built was given to Canada by France in 1922, in recognition of the sacrifice made by Canadians during the First World War and for the Canadian-led victory in the capture of Vimy Ridge during a battle that took place in April 1917.
VISITING THE SITE
Visitors' Information
The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is almost seventy years old. The passing of time and the elements have naturally caused the memorial to deteriorate, despite regular maintenance work performed over the years. Restoring the monument to its original state requires more than just routine upkeep. The plan to renovate the Canadian National Vimy Memorial is part of a larger restoration project of the thirteen Canadian memorial sites headed by Veterans Affairs Canada, in collaboration with other government ministries, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and various groups specializing in all aspects of military history.
The restoration of the thirteen First World War memorial sites is part of a large-scale undertaking which began Fall 2001. Most of this work is complete. The renovation work at Vimy will commences January 2005 and will continue for two years. As the memorial at Vimy Ridge has been designated a Canadian national historic site, it is important to preserve its historical and cultural integrity. This restoration project will ensure that the original conception for the site of artist and architect Walter S. Allward is upheld.
The monument area will now be completely inaccessible to the public until restoration is complete. However, the rest of the site will be open and programming, most notably the guided tours of the Grange subway, will continue as usual. Therefore, we invite visitors to concentrate on the sector in which the tunnels and trenches are located.
Additional services may be available to visitors between 2005 and 2006.
Opening Hours:
The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is open to the public throughout the year except for the 25th of December and the 1st of January. Entry to the site is free of charge. The opening hours are: 10 am to 6 pm from May to October and 9 am to 5 pm from November to April. From the 1st of May to the 30th of November, Canadian University students offer free guided visits every day from 10 am to 6 pm, except for the month of November where they will be offered from 9 am to 5 pm. The visits begin every 45 minutes.
Activities and services:
The site includes:
- The Monument will be temporarily inaccessible due to the restoration works.
- The Subways, constructed during the First World War, are accessible through guided visit every day from the 1st of May until the 30th of November. They are closed from December to April. Not wheelchair accessible.
- The duration of the visit is 30 to 45 minutes.
- There is a priority for groups with reservations. To meet the interests of all our visitors, groups who arrive late for a reserved visit lose it.
- Reservations are not accepted for Sunday afternoons.
- For security reasons, guided visits of the subways are limited to 30 people, including chaperones.
- Children younger than 12 must be accompanied by a parent to enter the subway.
- The trenches are accessible for visit. It is possible that school groups under the age of 12 may have guided visit of the trenches (30 minutes) between the months of May and November, within available time frames.
- The Interpretation Centre is freely accessible within the opening hours of the site. The Interpretation Center has an exhibition presenting Canada during the First World War and has a 7 minute audiovisual display that retraces the battle of Vimy Ridge available in French, English or German. Visitors should expect temporary closure (commencing on Jan.10th 2005) due to the restoration work on the Monument.
- The Canadian Cemeteries are freely accessible to visit
- Memory and Battlefield tours are available from May to November for the duration of the restorative work on the Monument.
Information (weekdays):
The Canadian National
Monument and Park at Vimy
62580 VIMY - FRANCE
Tel :
+ 33 3 21 50 68 68 Fax :
+ 33 3 21 58 58 34
Internet : www.vac-acc.gc.ca ou
www.memorialvirtuel.gc.ca
E-mail :
Vimy.Memorial@vac-acc.gc.ca
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Photo
Gallery, Links and Poetry
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3
Private
Leo Kelly's Letter from Vimy Ridge
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4 Photographs, comments and suggestions from
friends of this site
last updated: January 29, 2005