Saint Julien Memorial, War memorial at Saint Julien, Belgium
Saint Julien Memorial is a granite sculpture of a Canadian soldier with bowed head and slumped shoulders standing roughly 11 meters high along the road between Ypres and Bruges. The figure was crafted by Brussels-based sculptors using stone from Vosges quarries.
This memorial marks the defense mounted by 18,000 Canadian soldiers against the first German gas attacks during the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915. The conflict introduced a new and devastating method of warfare that shocked soldiers on both sides.
The sculpture reflects how Canadians are remembered here through a solemn figure that visitors encounter when walking the roads between Ypres and Bruges. Local communities maintain this place as a space where people pause to think about shared sacrifice.
Parking is available at the site and the memorial is accessible at any hour of the day or night. The location sits directly beside an active road, so visitors should watch for traffic when exploring the grounds.
The gardens surrounding the memorial hold soil brought from different regions across Canada, symbolizing national unity during the First World War. This hidden element creates an unexpected link between the Belgian landscape and the homelands of those remembered here.
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