London students off to France for Vimy Ridge ceremony

It was a defining battle that helped shape Canada’s identity and around 500 London students are heading to the frontlines were a century ago to relive the victory.

The Thames Valley District School Board and Vimy Legion Branch 145 will both be at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial Sunday, marking the 100^th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

Students are set to visit the Juno Beach Centre and Dieppe Memorial and Sunday’s ceremony to learn about the battle that left more than 10,000 Canadian soldiers dead or wounded.

More than two dozen Lucas Secondary School Viking’s, joined by a dozen Glencoe District Highschool students,  filled the school’s parking lot – luggage in hand – Thursday afternoon to mark the start of their nine-day trip.

Grade 10 student Will Leach is taking a break from the history books assigned to him to experience the victory first-hand.

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“(Lucas) did teach us about the site…They did primarily talk about Vimy as it was the founding of Canada,” he said.

His mother Kesia Singh Leach, who joined the afternoon send-off, wishes she could travel back in time for her own high school ticket to history.

“I can’t believe they offer trips like this. I think it’s amazing,” she said. “It’s hard to learn history just out of books. So to actually go there and see the battlefields or the trenches…it just brings it to life and gives it more meaning.”

Beyond the history, Lian Alqayem, another Grade 10 student, is anxious to practice her French, capping the tour in southern France before heading back to London next Saturday.

“I really like French and the French language and Vimy Ridge is also very important to Canadian history so I thought it would be really important to go and support Canadians,” she said.

Preparing for the trip for more than two years through fundraisers and information sessions, Stacey Oliver, teacher and organizer, is excited to see the planning come to fruition.

“Their toes are going to be on the soil, making history, through a historical moment that they’re going to be able to say ‘we were there when,’” she said.

Students will be using the hashtag #TVDSBatvimy throughout the trip before making their way back to London April 15.