A poppy worn during the month of November, a black-and-white photo of a grandparent in uniform, a yellow ribbon on a licence plate.
According to historian Mélanie Morin-Pelletier, these small gestures of commemoration amount to a powerful lesson in how Canadians connect with the past.
As the country marks the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the Canadian War Museum has opened a new exhibition dedicated to how and why Canadians have commemorated the battle said to have been “the birth of a nation.”
“(The exhibition) explores how commemorations help us deal with grief, how they foster a stronger sense of belonging, how they often recognize wartime contribution and even promote certain values and causes,” Morin-Pelletier, who curated the display, said at a media event in Ottawa Wednesday.
On until November 12, “Vimy—Beyond the Battle” features a collection of artifacts from personal letters and photos from the First World War to well-known, collective symbols of remembrance such as a model of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial by Toronto sculptor Walter Allward to a battlefield painting by A.Y. Jackson.
“I really hope that it makes people reflect on how and why they and how we commemorate as a country, as communities and on the individual level,” Morin- Pelletier said.
The exhibition pays particular attention to individual stories through artifacts such as military medals of honours and pictographs on a calfskin robe depicting the wartime exploits of Blackfoot warrior Cpl. Mike Mountain Horse.
But Vimy—Beyond the Battle also seeks to create a more immediate connection between visitors and the battle using interactive technology.
The hallway leading into the exhibition features a long screen that shows the shadows of Canadian soldiers on the battlefield. As visitors walk by, their silhouettes are picked up by a sensor and displayed on the screen alongside the infantrymen.
In the main room, a display of 3,598 lights—one for each Canadian who died at Vimy—lights up as visitors walk by.
Visitors can also tie commemorative ribbons to a dedicated net draped over a wall.
“Commemoration is a universal concept,” Morin-Pelletier said. “No matter where you come from or who you are, it’s an integral part of our lives and it’s all around us.”
Vimy—Beyond the Battle, at-a-glance:
- Explores the way Canadians have commemorated the Battle of Vimy Ridge
- Divided into four sections: grieving and healing, personal stories, belonging, promoting a cause
- Exhibition took two years to research, curate and set up
- On until November 12 at the Canadian War Museum
- Free admission on Sunday, April 9 for 100th anniversary of Vimy
