Lecture: Birth of a Notion: The Vimy Idea, 1917-2017
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Vimy is more than a battle from the First World War. It is common to hear that Vimy marks the 鈥渂irth of a nation,鈥� a claim repeated in school听textbooks, by politicians, and in the news. 听Yet what is meant by this phrase? Do Canadians actually believe that Canada was born at Vimy, 50 years after Confederation? How did the four-day battle of Vimy in April 1917 transform into an origin story? 听This was no militarist plot. 听While not all Canadians believed in Vimy鈥檚 importance, enough did, and the idea of Vimy was听invigorated with the building of Walter Allward鈥檚 monument on the ridge. 听The monument鈥檚 unveiling in 1936 by King Edward VIII was attended by more than 6,000 Canadian veterans who crossed the Atlantic. 听Since then, Vimy has been incorporated into Canadian history, although its meaning has changed with each generation. 听In this year, the 100th anniversary of the battle, Dr. Tim Cook will explore the emergence of the Vimy idea, its changing meaning, and its endurance as a symbol of Canadian service and sacrifice.听
Free lecture open to the public.
RSVP required. To RSVP click here听or call 398-5711.
Book sale and signing from 6:30-7:00pm.
Presented by: McGill Library, McGill Rare Books & Special Collections, Osler, Art, and Archives (ROAAr), McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, Faculty of Arts,听Department of History and Classical Studies, and the Arts Undergraduate Society.
With special thanks to听The Canadian Grenadier Guards
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Dr. Tim Cook is a historian at the Canadian War Museum. He was the curator for the museum鈥檚 First World War permanent gallery, and he has curated numerous temporary, travelling and digital exhibitions. He has also authored ten books, most of which have been longlisted, shortlisted or awarded prizes, including the C.P. Stacey Prize for Military History (twice), the Ottawa Book Award (twice), the RBC Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction, the BC National Book Award, the J.W. Dafoe Book Prize, the Canadian Authors Association Literary Award and the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing. His newest book is Vimy: Battle and Legend (2017).听 In 2012, Dr. Cook was awarded the Queen鈥檚 Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contributions to Canadian history and in 2013 he received the Governor General鈥檚 History Award for Popular Media: The Pierre Berton Award. Dr. Cook is a Member of the Order of Canada.
Related exhibit |听Remembering: Commemorating the One Hundredth Anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge
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