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2 - Orono Weekly Times 1937 - 2012 · Celebrating 75 Years Subscriptions $38.09 + $1.91 GST = $40.00 per year. No Refunds. Publishing 48 issues annually at the office of publication. "We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund for our publishing activities." Wednesday, April 18, 2012 ORONO WEEKLY TIMES - 5310 Main St., P.O. Box 209, Orono, ON L0B 1M0 E-mail: oronotimes@rogers.com or Phone/Fax: 905-983-5301 Publisher/Editor Margaret Zwart Production and Display Advertising - Roxanne Johnston Classified/Sports The Orono Weekly Times welcomes letters to the editor on subjects of interest to our readers. Opinions expressed to the editor and articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Orono Weekly times. Letters must be signed and contain the address and phone number of the writer. Any letter considered unsuitable will not be acknowledged or returned. We reserve the right to edit for length, libel and slander. If your retail or classified ad appears for the first time, please check carefully. Notice of an error must be given before the next issue goes to print. The Orono Weekly Times will not be responsible for the loss or damage of such items. Torch of remembrance passed along On Monday, April 9, 44 Clarke High School students joined together with other Canadian students to take part in the silent march from Givenchy to Vimy in Northern France. The students were participating in ceremonies marking the 95th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. While the battle at Vimy Ridge is given little attention in British and American history, noted as being one part of the larger offensive of the Battle of Arras, in Canada it is viewed as the defining moment for a country only 50 years old at the time. Vimy Ridge is considered a pivotal point in Canada's graduation from British colony to mature nation state. Dedicated to the Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed during the First World War, the Vimy Ridge Memorial now stands on the highest point of the ridge. The memorial, designed by Toronto born sculptor Walter Allward and unveiled in 1936, stands on a 100hectare site, a portion of the former battle field granted to Canada by France in 1922 in recognition of the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers, for perpetual use as a battlefield park and memorial. During the ceremony on Monday, and walking in the footsteps of the Canadian Commander at Vimy, Sir Julian Byng, who later became the 12th Governor General of Canada and took the title of Viscount Byng of Vimy, Canada's current Governor General, David Johnson addressed the audience of thousands, telling them, "We stand on hallowed ground." Having each been given the name and biography of a Canadian soldier lost in the Great War to study before setting out on their trip, the roughly 4,000 Canadian high school students in the audience were certainly aware that they were just a few years younger than many of the 3,598 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives capturing the ridge. The goal of the battle at Vimy Ridge was to break through the impenetrable German lines, but the natural slope of the hill provided little cover to attacking troops. French attempts to take control of Vimy Ridge throughout 1915 were unsuccessful, resulting in approximately 150,000 French casualties. In March 1916 when the British army took over the operation from the French, they too were driven back before they could plan a major attack. As a last ditch effort to make a significant breakthrough, four Canadian divisions were brought together from all parts of the country, fighting for the first time as a cohesive formation. Beginning at 5:30 on the morning of Easter Monday, April 9, 1917, the first wave of 20,000 Canadian soldiers attacked the Germans on Vimy Ridge, a seven-kilometre-long escarpment in northern France overlooking the Arras Valley. Though the Canadians suffered great casualties in the first waves, the assault proceeded on schedule and by noon most of the heavily defended ridge was captured. Hill 145, the highest point of the ridge was taken on the morning of April 10 and two days later the Canadians took the Pimple, the other significant high point on the ridge, forcing the Germans to withdraw three kilometres. After four days of fighting through biting wind, snow and sleet, under heavy enemy fire and walking a short 100 yards behind a red hot curtain of creeping artillery fire laid down by their own side, by nightfall on April 12, though 3,598 Canadians soldiers lay dead on the ridge and another 7,004 were wounded, the Canadian Corps were in firm control Vimy Ridge. In his address last Monday, Canada's Governer General described the site as, "A place of agonized conflict, a site of appalling loss, a vessel of sorrow, a crucible of courage, a hallmark of ingenuity, collaboration and resolve undertaken by men at arms in the cause of peace." Ninety five years after the sound and fury of that desperate struggle was ended what a moving sight it must have been to see the students of Clarke High School, who owe so much to the bravery of soldiers barely older than themselves, carrying their school banner joined with thousands of fellow students from schools all across Canada, wearing red jackets and paying tribute to those fallen soldiers. According to John Haslam of the Bowmanville Legion, a trip such as this makes you realize what being a Canadian is all about. In this week's edition, two Clarke students contribute their moving accounts of that trip. As the veterans of these wars pass away, (the last veteran of WWI having passed away in 2010 at the age of 109) it will be up to the younger generations to make sure those who fought continue to be remembered and honoured. Giving high school students the opportunity to visit the battle grounds, graves and memorials will go a long way to making sure the torch of remembrance is passed on to future generations. Editorial nails issue To the Editor: I have just received and read this week's edition and would like to thank you for your unbiased reporting!! You recently met with my daughter, Barbara, and discussed the issues regarding the racing industry and the OLG. Whilst the leading article hits home-base accurately, your editorial nails the greater issues and abysmal attitude of our current government PERFECTLY!!! To be blunt, they don't give a sh..! for rural Ontarians, only their "urban support base". Best regards, Chris Graham. Kendal Heather Rebekah lodge birthday success To the Editor: Thank you to everyone who took the time to attend the Open Meeting and 65th Birthday of the Orono Heather Rebekah Lodge on April 10th. It was heartwarming to see so many come out and we appreciate your taking time out of your busy day to visit us. Erika Chapman Orono From The House At The Centre Of The Universe I promise we don't bite by Tracy Tonkinson I've done a lot of volunteering over the years, from beaver leader and school community council chair, to fair boards, local community development steering committees, provincial transportation committees and most recently environmental stewardship. This year I became a Board member for the Orono Crown Lands Trust (OCLT), a group with the stated mandate "to preserve and protect a natural space for public use through education and stewardship for present and future generations." This Wednesday, April 18th, sees me attending my first Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Orono Town Hall. The event opens its doors at 6:30 pm - 7:00 with a Social & Silent Auction. Then at 7:00 pm our guest speaker, Suzanne Elston will bring us her years of environmental stewardship experience with her presentation before we end the night around 9:30pm PROMISE see page 3