Canadian National Vimy Memorial, War memorial in Givenchy-en-Gohelle, France.
The Canadian National Vimy Memorial stands on the crest of Vimy Ridge at Hill 145, in Givenchy-en-Gohelle. Its base is a long, low platform of white Seget limestone from the island of Brač in Croatia, set on a concrete structure. Two rectangular pylons, representing Canada and France, rise 27 metres above the base, separated by a narrow vertical gap and tapering slightly to flat, squared tops. The monument contains 11,000 tonnes of concrete and 6,000 tonnes of limestone.
The monument was built starting in 1925 and completed in 1936 to honor the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917. Architect Walter Allward designed it after a competition, and construction took more than a decade to finish.
The monument carries the names of 11,285 Canadian soldiers killed in France with no known grave, about one fifth of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The two pylons stand for Canada and France. Each tree in the wooded park around the ridge was planted by a Canadian in memory of a soldier.
Access to the grounds is free and pathways are well maintained, suitable for wheelchairs. A visitor center offers information about the battle and displays objects from the period, while you can explore the reconstructed trenches and tunnels.
The land where the monument stands belongs permanently to Canada, even though it sits geographically in France. France transferred the site to Canada in 1922 as a sign of gratitude for the efforts in the First World War.
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