The dates were April 9 to April 12. The Year was 1917.
Four Canadian divisions led the charge against German troops defending a 7 kilometre ridge in Northern France.
Others had tried to take Vimy Ridge before and had failed.
But on those four bloody days a century ago, the Canadians prevailed through incredible bravery, courage and ability.
It came at a high cost. 3,598 Canadian soldiers died. Another 7,000 were wounded.
The sacrifice will be forever honoured at the Vimy Memorial on land which the French government in 1922 ceded to Canada in perpetuity.
Many historians tell us that the Canadian nation was born during those terrible days of 1917.
Now as we approach the Vimy centennial I feel profound outrage, a sense of deep outrage when I learned of the plans of some small-minded ethnocentric nationalists to erase the name Vimy from a park in Outremont and to replace it with the name of Jacques Parizeau.
Words can hardly express how fundamentally offensive this is.
If it weren’t for the people who gave their lives at Vimy and other battles in our history, then Jacques Parizeau might never had a country to try to destroy.
All Parizeau wanted to do was tear us apart.
This terrible idea must be stopped.
There are plenty of other ways to honour Parizeau if so desired.
Outremont has a lot of parks. Leave Vimy alone.
Shame the councillors who voted for this.
Shame on the Outremont hysterical society who should know better.
Shame on anyone who thinks it is appropriate.
Shame.
It is an insult to anyone who cares about decency.
Goodbye Mr. Drainville
Another sign this week that the party of Parizeau is in deep trouble: Bernard Drainville, the former reporter, is now a former politician.
The man who brought you that abhorrent Charter of Values says it is time to go. He is off to spout his political philosophy on talk radio in Quebec City.
He was finished in the PQ and he knew the party was not going anywhere, forever stuck in referendum angst and the politics of division.
Drainville actually shed a tear or two in announcing his departure.
He still cannot accept the blame that his Charter helped sink the party.
But perhaps he should own up to this from 2013: “Un élu qui choisit de son plein gré de démissioner en cours du mandat ne respecte pas le contrat qu’il a pris avec ses électeurs.”
An MNA who chooses by his own free will to quit in the course of a mandate does not respect the contract that he made with voters.
Let’s repeat that again: Does not respect the contract he made with voters.
Good riddance Mr Drainville.
You hoped for leadership, it wasn’t to be.
You tried to fool us with your Charter.
And now who is the biggest fool of all?
Consider the contract broken.
