Vernon council backs Vimy Ridge memorial proposal with letter
vernon council approved sending a letter of support on April 27 for a permanent Vimy Ridge memorial on Department of National Defence grounds. The request goes to Minister of National Defence David J. McGuinty and adds municipal backing to a proposal already supported in late January by Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee MP Scott Anderson.
The memorial would give Canadians, veterans, serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their families a place for reflection and remembrance. Martin von Holst, who is spearheading the proposal, said the site would be designed as an interpretive, commemorative and educational space inspired by Vimy Ridge themes rather than a copy of the memorial in France.
Scott Anderson letter
Anderson sent his letter of support to McGuinty in late January. In that letter, he wrote: “The memorial would serve as a lasting space for reflection and remembrance for Canadians, Veterans, serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces, and their families” and “The memorial would also reflect our nation's commitment to recognizing the service and sacrifice of its military personnel.”
von Holst said the proposal fills a gap in Canada. “The Battle of Vimy Ridge is considered a defining moment in Canadian history, yet there is currently no national-scale, interpretive Vimy memorial within Canada,” he said. He added: “We believe Canada needs this,” and described it as “A space where people can come to show respect and honour those people who served and did not come home.”
DND grounds in Vernon
The group is seeking a permanent memorial on Department of National Defence land in Vernon. von Holst said the location is preferred for military stewardship, to align with federal commemorative integrity, and to avoid commercial or political influence. The plan also calls for a non-profit funding model with a transparent financial structure and long-term maintenance strategies.
von Holst tied the proposal to the scale of the losses remembered at Vimy and in the city itself, saying 66,000 Canadians died in World War I and that 125 Vernon soldiers fought in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The site would be intended as a lasting place, not a temporary display, with maintenance planning built into the proposal from the start.
McGuinty decision
With Vernon council now on record, the proposal has municipal and federal-local backing as it goes to the Minister of National Defence. The next step is whether McGuinty acts on the request for DND land use and the memorial construction proposal.
