Photo/MEAGAN CLEVELAND ODSS STUDENTS AT VIMY: A group of enthusiastic students from Orangeville District Secondary School wearing replica militia shirts from World War One were part of the 90th anniversary celebrations at Vimy Ridge, Easter Monday. Thousands of Canadian students joined together at Vimy Ridge, in France, for the 90th Anniversary of the Battle and the rededication of the war monument.

I was one of the 43 students from Orangeville District Secondary School, and my first impression was it was surreal being in a place where a major World War One battle took place.

When we arrived on Easter Monday for the ceremony, it was a warm, sunny day; the grass was green and the sky a bright blue, totally unexpected for what I had imagined was the site of a grisly battle.

You could almost feel the excitement radiating from each student present. We were very excited and someone started the wave. What a sight it must have made for the helicopter who was surveying from above, seeing a sea of green clad arms waving up and down in the air.

We were all laughing, cheering, clapping and waving trying to get into a position to be seen by the television cameras.

From my vantage point I saw Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of France and the Queen. Even though I couldn't see them very well, I will always remember that moment.

The mood sobered when the ceremony began. I won't tell you much about that, I'm sure you all saw it on the news but I will tell you how it felt. We had been waiting and standing in the hot sun for hours and the heat was beating down on our heads.

The smart looking replica military shirts made us even hotter and there were many students passing out around us.

Once the speakers started talking about the war, a cloud passed over the sky and it became eerily cold for a moment. I'm not sure if the others noticed it, but the cold and eerie silence made it feel as if the dead were listening. They must have approved because the sun came out again and was shining down as before!

The whole day was just so exciting and memorable; so much happened I don't think I can write it all down but I will always remember how so many young Canadians came together to commemorate the soldiers who died at Vimy.

Grade 10 ODSS student Andrew Cleveland, my younger brother, said to me, "This is where all the Canadians came together to form a nation. Now we're doing it again!" I think he was right.