Veterans Affairs Canada
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RSS FeedsCanadian Battlefield Memorials Restoration Project
First World War Memorials
Canada's 13 First World War memorials were erected to honour and remember the achievements and sacrifices of Canadians and Newfoundlanders during the Great War. In May 2001, the Government of Canada announced a major $30-million restoration project to restore and rehabilitate Canada's memorial sites in France and Belgium, in order to maintain and present them in a respectful and dignified manner. On April 2, 2007 restoration of the last memorial site, the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, was officially completed and the site was re-opened to the public.
Eight of these memorials stand on notable Canadian battlefields: Vimy Ridge, Bourlon Wood, Courcelette, Dury, Hill 62 (Sanctuary Wood), Le Quesnel, Passchendaele and St. Julien. The other five memorials mark places of historical significance to the then Dominion of Newfoundland: Beaumont-Hamel, Gueudecourt, Monchy-le-Preux, Masnières, and Courtrai. Collectively, they are symbolic of the Canadians and Newfoundlanders who gave their lives during the First World War, and are physical reminders that their sacrifices and victories must never be forgotten.
The repair work required to rehabilitate these memorial sites, at an average of 75 years old, was beyond the scope of routine maintenance. The program of work was carried out in collaboration with Public Works and Government Services Canada(Opens a new window), the Commonwealth War Graves Commission(Opens a new window) and other specialists, consultants and military historians. The work was separated into 4 project areas, with the restoration of the Vimy Monument being the main priority.
