The Vimy Foundation has commissioned a new poll, carried out by Ipsos Reid, which shows that just under half of Canadians can correctly identify that the Battle of Vimy Ridge took place during the First World War.
Vimy Ridge is considered to be a “coming of age” battle for Canada and essential in the development of the modern Canadian nation.
On the 9th April 1917 some 20,000 men of the Canadian Corps attacked the seemingly impregnable Vimy Ridge, which was in German hands.
A costly victory with more than 10,000 casualties sustained, the battle has played an important part in the formation of Canada’s national identity.
As the Centenary of the battle approaches in 2017, the Vimy Foundation’s poll suggests that there is limited knowledge about the battle – with 9% of those surveyed believing that Vimy Ridge was a ski slope used for training in the run up to the Sochi Winter Olympic Games 2014.
The poll also highlighted significant confusion between the First and Second World Wars and which war the Battle of Vimy Ridge was fought in.
The report also showed that older people and those living in English-speaking regions of Canada knew more about the battle, whilst younger people and those from French Canada scored lower on a range of questions about Vimy Ridge.
To read the Centenary News analysis of the report, click here.
Source: The Vimy Foundation/Ipsos Reid
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Posted by: Daniel Barry, Centenary News