The Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France is dedicated to the memory of

Canadian Expeditionary Force members and other Canadians killed during the
First World War. Designed by Walter Seymour Allward, the monument is the
centrepiece of a 100-hectare (250-acre) battlefield park, overlapping the site of
the Battle of Vimy Ridge offensive (9 April 1917) that began the Battle of Arras.
In that offensive, all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force
participated as a cohesive battle formation for the first time, and it became a
Canadian national symbol of achievement and sacrifice. France ceded the land to
Canada for its memorial. Wartime tunnels, trenches, craters, and unexploded
munitions still honeycomb the grounds, which are largely closed off for public
safety. Preserved trench lines and several other memorials and cemeteries are
contained within the park. King Edward VIII unveiled it in July 1936, and Queen
Elizabeth II re-dedicated the restored monument on the 90th anniversary of the
offensive. The site, one of only two N