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ae = F + — 2 Zz Thousands lined the streets of Uxbridge and followed the horse drawn wagon, with Lt. Col. Sam Sharpe to the local cemetery. Lt. Col. Sam Sharpe revered in Ontario County When we pay tribute to the almost 100,000 Ca- nadians who fought at Vimy Ridge, we are remem- bering one of the defining moments in Canada, by some of our greatest heroes. Such is the story of Lt. Col. Sam Sharpe - who was a Parliamentarian. He sat in the House of Com- ms, but he was also a soldier who served on that battlefield that the French came to call “the grave- yard of France.” He witnessed death and destruction ona scale that none of us can imagine — 800,000 casualties. 200,000 dead on the heavily fortified slopes of Vimy Ridge alone. Lt. Col. Sharpe knew what he was facing when he arrived with his own troops — just weeks before the Battle began on a cold and miserable Easter Monday morning. He felt “a sacred trust” to bring his men home alive, and he knew exactly how difficult it would be to honour that trust. Writing to his wife Mabel, he said: “We have very little protection there and I may not pull through. If it should be my fate to be Wear it and Mike Dunn & family have been restoring Remember.| the smiles of Durham Region residents for over 40 years. We pride ourselves Vets in providing nothing less than the best welcome. | lity and service to our clients. DVA ALL INSURANCE PLANS ACCEPTED! accepted. ‘11.NOVEMBER.56 final indd 39 among those who fall, I wish to say I have no regrets to offer. I have done my dui Seven months later, while still serving — still serving on the battle- fields of Europe, — he was re-elected for a third time to the House of Commons. But even in such victory, Lt. Col. Sharpe was already succumbing to the ravages of war. He never returned to the House of Commons. His life ended tragi- cally, shattered by what he had seen. He had survived the bullets and bombs but, sadly, he died at a Montreal hospital in May 1918, of “complete men- tal and physical exhaustion.” He was heart broken by the loss of so many young men placed in his sacred trust. Notes from the Honourable Greg Thompson Minister of Veterans Affairs April 1, 2007 on the occasion of the 90th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge Lt. Col. Sam Sharpe PORT PERRY DENTURE CLINIC a ed Ot CREATING YOUR PERFECT SMILE! * Complete and Partial Denture Services * Same Day Relines and Repairs + Implant Supported / Retained Dentures * Sports Mouth Guards * Tooth Whitening FREE NO OBLIGATION CONSULTATION! Mike Dunn DD 6 High St. (Unit 4) Port Perry 905-985-8028 dunndenture@rogers.com FOCUS - NOVEMBER 2012 39 12-10-22 8:29AM