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History

Mapping Canadian memorials overseas

Thousands of Canadians have fought and lost their lives overseas — and they haven’t been forgotten

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial on the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge Expand Image
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The July/August 2018 issue of Canadian Geographic features a story about Canadian Cold War bases in Germany. Inspired by the traces of Canada left behind in the city of Lahr, Germany — a totem pole in a local park, a street called Cabot Trail — we wondered what other Canadian memorials exist beyond our own borders. Canada has been part of numerous international conflicts, from the Great War to the Boer Wars to the Korean War. Thousands of Canadians have fought and lost their lives overseas — and they have not been forgotten.

From the towering limestone pylons of the impressive Canadian National Vimy Memorial in Vimy, France, to a simple stone memorial on a triangle of green in a tiny village in Yorkshire, U.K., Canadians are remembered around the world, sometimes in stone, or in groves of maples growing along highways, in parks or in forests. More than this, these sites are a tribute to the friendship Canada has so often extended to other countries of the world.

We have created an interactive map of these memorial sites around the globe: the parks, the street corners and the cemeteries. The list is by no means exhaustive and we invite you to contribute your own additions to the map. What Canadian memorials have you discovered in your travels?

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