Activities will once again be happening in Estevan on April 6 and 7 to mark the approaching 102nd anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
The No. 2901 Estevan PPCLI Army Cadets will be hosting activities on April 6. They will open at 10 a.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch. Craig Bird, who is the commanding officer for the local army cadets, will be making a presentation, and a video will be shown.
“This is going to be the third installment,” Bird said. “Each year I’m doing a little bit different aspect of the Vimy battle, just to keep it fresh and to provide a little bit different information. Each year, when people come and attend, it’s going to be a little bit different.”
Bird will discuss the involvement of the different units in the southeast, with the PPCLI in particular, because that’s the unit the local army cadets are affiliated with.
The video was completed by a Manitoba curator and historian.
“It gives an idea of what people were going through at the time as well,” said Bird. “It gives a little bit of a different aspect, and it still involves southeast Saskatchewan and southwest Manitoba.”
There will also be small museum set up in the small hall of the legion. People can drop by and view uniforms and other memorabilia from the First World War. Estevan’s Jeff Gudmundson and Arcola’s Scott Paton have joined Bird as confirmed exhibitors.
Bird hopes a long-time friend of his will also be able to bring some items.
“We have a few new items to bring, and then some of the stuff that we have brought before, because people haven’t seen them,” said Bird. “I keep getting messages on Facebook and after the fact, asking where the display and what not was, and we have to tell people that unfortunately we only set it up for the day or for the weekend.”
People want to see the items, because there isn’t a place in town that has the military history and contributions on display.
“Hopefully we’re going to rectify that in the future,” said Bird.
Lunch will be served at the legion, and then people are asked to gather at the cenotaph and the Soldier’s Tree monument for a brief ceremony to remember those who have died in conflict. Wreaths will be laid at the cenotaph.
Then there will be information on the Soldier’s Tree and the cenotaph, and people will be invited to return to the legion and spend more time in the museum.
The museum will be closed during the cenotaph service.
“We hope that the members of the public who are interested in the military history will come on down, and … we’re doing things a little bit different, so even if they did come last year or the year before, it will be a little different, and they won’t be disappointed,” Bird said.
This marks the third time that the army cadets have hosted events in honour of Vimy. The first time was in 2017 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the battle, which occurred from April 9-12, 1917, and saw Canadian soldiers dislodged the Germans from a key strategic point in northern France.
The legion will host its annual Vimy Night awards banquet and supper on April 7 at the legion. The banquet is an opportunity for the legion to recognize long-standing service to the Estevan branch.
Traditionally Vimy Night is held on the Saturday before April 9, but the legion decided to do it on a Sunday this year.
