The monument is dedicated to the memory of all members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force killed during World War I and also as a memorial for Canadian soldiers killed who have no known graves- some 11,285 of them. Their names are inscribed on the outer walls of the monument.
This is a small scale replica of the Vimy Ridge monument which is housed in the military museum on Citadel Hill in Halifax: The actual memorial is located in France, on the highest part of Vimy Ridge, where, between April 9-12, 1917 all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force fought and defeated the German army, taking the Ridge. While not the greatest Canadian military victory, it is one which holds great significance for Canadians because it marked the first time that Canadian troops fought together as countrymen, not just as part of the British empire. It is said that Canada truly became a nation on that battlefield. While the monument incorporates many sculptures, the principal one is Canada Bereft, the cloaked figure of a woman standing with bowed head, carved from a single block of stone weighing 30 tonnes. Below her is a sarcophagus which has a combat helmet and a sword lying on it, and is draped in laurel leaves. She symbolizes the nation of Canada, mourning her lost sons. She faces the east, looking to the dawn of a new day. The monument is dedicated to the memory of all members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force killed during World War I and also as a memorial for Canadian soldiers killed who have no known graves- some 11,285 of them. Their names are inscribed on the outer walls of the monument.
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