In Commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge during the First World War, history teacher David Robinson from Port Perry High School will lead a Canadian contingent of as many as 3,600 secondary students to a special tour which will remember Canada’s soldiers during the official ceremony in Vimy, France.

Forty-three Orangeville high school students from grades 10 to 12 will be part of this cultural and historic experience, which has been co-ordinated by the Orangeville District Secondary School language department’s teacher Norm Harper.

The Orangeville branch of Royal Canadian Legion has provided names of soldiers such as William John Wesley Montgomery, Samuel Joseph Jackson, David Barclay Brown and others to be represented by local students.

At the ceremony, students will wear replica WW1 militia shirts bearing the name badge of the soldier they would be representing. Each Canadian student in attendance at the ceremony will represent one of the Canadian soldiers who died at Vimy Ridge. A wreath will be laid in memory of the soldiers by the Upper Grand District School Board.

The trip will include a two-day sightseeing tour in London England, during

which students will visit the British War museum.They will also visit the Canadian battlefields in Belgium, the Normandy Dieppe Canadian cemetery and Monte Carmichael in Paris.

The Rotary club of Orangeville Highlands has provided funding to enable students to access the military records through the National Archives of Canada. Other sponsors for this special trip include Theater Orangeville, M&M Meats and Kerry O’Brien of the Winchester Arms. Additional monetary donations from individuals, organizations, or business within our community would be appreciated. Revisiting Vimy Ridge will be an opportunity to

give Canadian students a personal perspective into history.