Local Sea Cadets help Canadians celebrate Vimy
Posted Mar 5, 2010 By Sarah Kelford
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EMC News - On April 9, 1917 Canadian troops headed into a battle that would become a national symbol of achievement and sacrifice, the battle of Vimy Ridge. 
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MPP for Carleton-Mississippi Mills Norm Sterling stopped by the Hazeldean Mall on Saturday to accept a Vimy Pin. While there, Sterling said he plans to introduce the pin as a private member's bill when he returns to Queen's Park.
It is a battle highlighted as the turning point in Canadian history, where the four Canadian divisions fought together for the first time. Resulting in the deaths of 3,598 Canadians, the victory over the German forces at Vimy Ridge is seen as the beginning of Canada's road to an independent nation.
"Nov. 11 is a day of mourning, April 9 is a day of celebration, of great military victory," said Christopher Sweeney, Vimy Foundation board member, who spearheaded the Vimy Pin. "We would like one million Canadians to wear these pins. Our goal though, is to have as many Canadians wearing pins as they do the poppy. Vimy Day is uniquely Canadian."
After a poll taken during the 90th anniversary of the battle showed that only 30 per cent of Canadians understood the importance of the event in the country's history, the Vimy Foundation took it on as a challenge to educate Canadians through scholarships, a nation-wide competition and through the promotion of the Vimy Pin.
When the government of Canada named April 9 "Vimy Day" in 2003, nothing was done to promote it. Sweeney explained that in 2008 a study showed that only seven per cent of Canadians even knew about the day's designation.
The Vimy Pin was introduced in 2009 and has been described as "April's Poppy" and hopes to bring the recognition and celebration that this day deserves.
The Royal Canadian Sea Cadets have partnered with the Vimy Foundation to help promote and collect donations through selling the Vimy Pin.
"It is the Foundation's goal that people wear the pin every Vimy Ridge Day in remembrance of that outstanding victory on April 9, 1917, and in recognition of that event's contribution to the Canadian identity," wrote Lesley Lehman of the Navy League of Canada-Kanata branch.
The Vimy Pin
The Vimy Foundation's website describes the pin, explaining that on the top of the clasp is "an elongated Canadian maple leaf, which has been used as a Canadian symbol since the early 1700s. Within the maple left are the iconic two towers of the magnificent Vimy Memorial designed by Walter S. Allward, built between 1925 and 1936 by the Canadian Government on land given to the nation by France to honour Canada's First World War sacrifice of 60,000 dead. The two towers represent Canada and France bound together by sacrifice.
The four coloured boxes represent the four Canadian divisions which fought together for the first time on April 9, 1917 at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The red represents the First Division, the dark blue the Second Division, the grey-blue the Third Division, and the green the Fourth Division. The order of the ribbon's colours (left to right) reflects the positioning of the four Canadian Divisions facing the German defences on the day of the battle."
The Royal Canadian Sea Cadets distributed pins at the Hazeldean Mall on Feb. 27. Pins cost $5, but quickly drop in price if purchased in bulk orders.
If you are interested in purchasing a pin, order forms are available at www.centurionseacadets.org and the pin will be delivered to your location, within Canada.
There will be more Vimy Pin campaigns closer to Vimy Day. "The pin is something you put on your lapel, it's small and light enough for both men and women to wear," noted Sweeney, adding that feedback has been wonderful. "When Canadians see it, and know what it means, they love it."
The pins are meant to wear year after year. Part of the proceeds from the pins go towards The Military Families Fund.
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