Vimy Ridge Return 2017

In June 2017, nine currently serving members of the British Columbia Dragoons and nine members of the Okanagan community will spend ten days touring the WWI and WWII landscape of Northern France, Belgium, and Normandy. This tour will take place in order to honour and remember the sacrifice of Canadian soldiers during the centennial of the Battles of Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele.
As the direct descendants of the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles, who fought in trenches across northern Europe, the British Columbia Dragoons and the British Columbia Dragoons Regimental Society are dedicated to remembering and passing on their history.
Spanning almost two weeks in total, the tour is anticipated to arrive in Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport on 10th July 2017 and depart from the same location on 19th July 2018. The Northern European cities of Arras,Ypres, Amiens, Honfleur, and Paris feature in the preliminary itinerary as well as tours of WWI battlefields at Vimy Ridge, Ypres, Passchendaele, Amiens, and WWII landing sites at Dieppe and Juno Beach.
Such experiences will undoubtedly be enhanced by the leadership of Military Historian Dr. James Wood, British Columbia Dragoons [Lieutenant], who has agreed to spearhead the tour.
Furthermore, alongside Canadian Armed Forces members will be members of the community, paying their own way and in some cases
sponsoring a soldier’s travel and board. By fostering a lasting comradery at the ground level, the British Columbia Dragoons and Regimental Society will have the opportunity to reconnect and grow the Regiment locally during the centennial of one of the most formative events of Canadian pride and national identity.
Written by 2Lt Matthew Cox