In celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, History has unveiled a slate of digital shorts, titled Thank You, Canada, reflecting our historical successes and milestones. They’ll be rolling out from now until Canada Day (July 1).
From the snowmobile to the foghorn to the goalie mask to maple syrup, Canada has a rich history of inventions and innovations (we didn’t just come up with basketball), and there’s a short video for each. Every Canadian is invited to watch and share the videos in anticipation of our country’s big birthday.
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“We’re honoured to join in the national celebration of Canada’s milestone anniversary with this homegrown collection of poignant and compelling content,” said Daniel Eves, senior vice-president of Kids and General Entertainment, Corus Entertainment. “These stories weave together the rich fabric of our country and History is proud to spotlight the contributions, achievements, and influence of Canadians over the last 150 years.”
One especially notable event in our country’s history is the Battle of Vimy Ridge, which took place during the First World War, from April 9 – 12, 1917. The Canadian Corps managed to seize control of the ridge, and it was one of the first times Canadians were recognized as a force to be reckoned with. Their initiative, despite having the odds stacked against them, was a defining moment for Canada and the First World War.
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In the Thank You, Canada Vimy Ridge short, we see how a country that was barely 50 years old developed brilliant military tactics in the field to defeat the Germans, who’d set up their position at the top of the ridge. It was an uphill battle (literally and figuratively), and 15,000 men poured over the ridge, many meeting their deaths.
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Those lost Canadian lives aren’t going unnoticed, either: On the battle’s 100th anniversary (April 9), History is airing a 90-minute documentary at 9 p.m. ET/PT — separate from Thank You, Canada — titled Searching for Vimy’s Lost Soldiers. It follows Norm Christie, one of the world’s leading experts in identifying missing allied soldiers of the two world wars. In the doc, Christie and his team embark on an investigation to locate the bodies of 44 still missing Canadian soldiers at Vimy.
Find a sneak peek below of Searching for Vimy’s Lost Soldiers.
Watch ‘Searching for Vimy’s Lost Soldiers’ on April 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on History.
History and Global News are Corus Entertainment properties.
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