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A Trip to France and Canada
The First and Second World Wars saw Canada summon all of its human, industrial and financial resources to support the war efforts of the Allies. However, in the years between these two conflicts a great political change had taken place. At the start of the First World War, Britain had declared war on behalf of the whole British Empire without consulting any of its members, including Canada. But the sacrifices endured had given these colonies a strong sense of emerging identity, convincing many that they could stand alone as separate nations. They had each signed the Treaty of Versailles, ending the First World War, and had subsequently joined the League of Nations as members in their own right. In 1931, the Statute of Westminster gave emerging Dominions such as Canada full autonomy. When war was again declared in 1939, rather than being commanded to join the war effort, Canada made an independent decision to support Britain.
This trip focused on exploring the impact of conflict on the emerging nation of Canada. It looked closely at Canada’s attitudes towards remembrance and commemoration, including those of its First Peoples, and in doing so enabled the group to contrast and compare these to attitudes and events within the UK. It also used the example of the Canadian experience of war to explore broader themes such as reconciliation, human rights and conflict resolution.
Questions investigated by the group included:
· Why did Canadians volunteer to fight during the First and Second World War?
· How do Canadians remember and commemorate the First and Second World Wars?
· What is the government’s role in supporting this national commemorative effort?
· Why did First Peoples volunteer to fight, how did they experience the wars and how do they commemorate them?
· What is the contemporary resonance of the legacy of the First and Second World Wars for Canadian society?
· How have these experiences of war shaped Canadian national identity?
· What roles does the Canadian military play today?
The Itinerary
France / Visit / RationaleDay 1 / First World War
Notre Dame de Lorette – French National Cemetery, and Museum / The French national cemetery enabled students to get a sense of the ways in which different nations commemorate at the beginning of their trip.
Day 2 / First World War
Passchendaele – Crest Farm and Waterfields Farm,
Tyne Cot Cemetery,
Vancouver Corner,
Langemarck Cemetery,
St Georges Church, Ypres
Menin Gate
Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate / The group followed the story of a Canadian soldier, John Henry de Jersey, who was killed at Passchendaele and is buried in Tyne Cot Cemetery. They visited Vancouver Corner, a memorial commemorating Canadian troops who fought at the Battle of Gravenstafel Ridge. Langemarck is a German cemetery which provides an interesting contrast to the way in which Commonwealth troops are buried and commemorated and a visit to the British memorial church of St Georges in Ypres adds further to this understanding. Finally, a visit to the Menin Gate and participation in the Last Post Ceremony allows students to consider the legacy of the First World War and what it means for commemoration and remembrance today.
Day 3 / First World War
Vimy Ridge Memorial and tunnel tour
Newfoundland Memorial Park
Thiepval / The battle of Vimy Ridge is often considered to the ‘birth of the nation’ for Canada. In 1917, four divisions of Canadian troops, fighting together for the first time captured the strategically important high ground from the Germans. The site is now owned in perpetuity by the people of Canada and contains tunnels, trench systems and the Canadian national memorial. A visit enables students to further explore the idea of Canadian national identity. Further exploration of these themes is possible at Newfoundland Memorial Park, the site of heavy losses from the Newfoundland Regiment on 1st July 1916. Many soldiers killed on this day are commemorated at the Thiepval memorial. Although at that time, Newfoundland was not part of Canada it became so in 1949 and since then, responsibility for the care and maintenance of the park is with the Canadian Government.
Day 4 / Second World War
Dieppe / In August 1942, 5,000 Canadian troops, keen to see action, took part in a poorly planned raid on the port of Dieppe, in German-occupied France. The raid was disastrous with flawed intelligence about German defences, no preliminary air bombardment, some troops landed at the wrong point and the element of surprise lost when the raiding force encountered a German convoy. Of the 5,000 Canadians who took part, approximately one in five was killed and many more were wounded and captured.
Day 5 / Second World War
Juno Beach Centre and D-Day beaches
Bretteville sur Laize Canadian War Cemetery / Juno Beach Centre is a learning centre and tribute to the many Canadian soldiers who gave their lives thousands of miles from home during the D-Day landings, and the subsequent Battle of Normandy. A museum and cultural centre, it opened at Courseulles-sur-Mer on the 59th anniversary of D-Day on 6 June 2003. The Centre presents the war effort made by all Canadians, civilian and military alike, both at home and on the various fronts during the Second World War, as well as representing Canadian society today. It is situated facing the beach where many of the first wave of Canadian 3rd Division soldiers lost their lives faced with heavy German artillery fire. As well as giving students some historical background into the Normandy landings from a Canadian point of view, the centre also enables them to consider the commemoration of these events and what they mean for Canadians today. This can continue with a visit to the Bretteville sur Laize War Cemetery, another maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Day 6 / Travel to Ottawa
Canada
Day 7 / Memorials and Canadian Culture
Familiarisation walk around Ottawa
Museum of Civilisation / The capital city of Canada is home to a variety of memorials that reflect the involvement of Canadians in conflicts throughout the 20th century, including the National War Memorial, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Aboriginal War Veterans Memorial, Peacekeepers Memorial, Ottawa Memorial and Beechwood Cemetery. A walking tour around Ottawa enables students to familiarise themselves with the city and also to understand that Canadian servicemen and women have had involvement in post-1945 conflicts and peace-keeping. A visit to the Museum of Civilisation introduces the group to the First Peoples of Canada, to enable them to understand their position and assimilation within Canadian society.
Day 8 / Museums and Culture
Canadian War Museum
Aboriginal Experience / A visit to the Canadian War Museum aimed to allow the group to consolidate the learning that had taken place so far on the trip. The Museum, reopened in 2005, aims to capture changing attitudes towards the military, the changing methods of remembrance and the role military events have had in Canadian history. The museum is also a memorial and encouraged the group to think about the role of military and war museums in preserving the memory of past events. A dance performance by members of the Aboriginal people in Canada completed this day with a cultural experience, important for understanding the country as a whole.
Day 9 / Museums
Canadian War Museum
Meeting with Veterans / A second day in the Canadian War Museum was deemed necessary because of its size and utility in exploring the themes of the trip. This day also saw the group meet with some Canadian Second World War Veterans. This gave them the chance to ask questions about the experiences of the Veterans, supported by the knowledge about the Canadian experience of war they had gained during the trip.
Day 10 / Memorials
Tour of Parliament and Peace Tower / The Canadian Parliament building, Peace Tower and Memorial Chamber on Parliament Hill contain the House of Commons and the Senate as well as the Library of Parliament. The Peace Tower is a freestanding bell tower, named to honour the thousands of Canadians who died in battle during the First World War. A central component of the tower is the Memorial Chamber, dedicated to the memory of all Canadians who have given their lives in service to their country from 1884 to the present day. The seven Books of Remembrance containing their names are displayed here. This day enabled the group a last chance to think about the role of Canadian government in commemoration and remembrance.