Veterans are pausing this weekend to mark the 99th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
People of all ages marched in West Vancouver to commemorate one of Canada’s most famous battles.
The Battle of Vimy Ridge, which began on April 9, 1917, was the biggest single Allied advance on the Western Front at the time during the First World War.
READ MORE: Historian’s mission to find missing remains of soldiers at Vimy Ridge
The victory came at a heavy cost, as over 3500 Canadians were killed in the battle, and another 7,000 were hurt.
But it became a symbol of a young country gaining independence from Britain, and today cadet corps sponsor events across the country to help ensure the moment is never forgotten.
The members of Royal Canadian Legion West Vancouver branch 60 organized the event, heading up from Marine Drive to the city’s Cenotaph.
“I’m here to remember the veterans who we lost in the First World War,” said Barney Nunns, served in the Second World War.
“It’s very important that we keep remembering these people.”
Similar events are planned tomorrow in Vancouver and Surrey.
READ MORE: Mapping Vancouver casualties from the First World War
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