PEI Army Cadets gather in Charlottetown to mark 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge

The four Army Cadet Units dispersed throughout the province of Prince Edward Island will be uniting in Charlottetown on April 9 for a commemorative ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

The Cadet units, consisting of approximately 120 cadets from across the province, will gather in Charlottetown on Saturday, April 8 for commemorative training.

On the day of the event, along with a police escort, the cadets and their affiliated unit, the Prince Edward Island Regiment, will march to the local cenotaph down the streets of Charlottetown.

At the conclusion of the march, an official ceremony will be held with a number of significant guests including the Lieutenant-Governor of PEI, the Honourable Frank Lewis, and the mayors of Charlottetown, Summerside, Stratford and Cornwall.

During the ceremony, the cadets will speak to the historical significance of Vimy Ridge.

“Vimy Ridge was a very significant battle during the First World War for the Canadians, and it was literally attributed to a new attitude about people who lived in Canada who didn’t identify themselves as Canadians up until then. It’s called the battle that formed the birth of a nation.

“So, it’s twofold, commemorating the veterans and military contribution that Canadians have made over the years,” said Jim Spears, President Army Cadet League of Canada (Prince Edward Island).

Commemorating Vimy Ridge has become a sort of tradition for the Army Cadets of PEI who held their first ever commemorative event in 2012- the 95th anniversary of Vimy Ridge.

The Army Cadet Unit PEI Commemorative Ceremony will take place on April 9 from 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. at the Provincial Cenotaph in Charlottetown.