Beautiful Peterborough Trillium Project In The Works At Cenotaph For Vimy Ridge 100th Anniversary Commemoration

A commemoration ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge will be held at the War Memorial, known as the cenotaph, in Confederation Square starting at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 9th, 2017.

In what will be a powerful and visually stunning display, ceramic trilliums will cover the front of the mound at the Memorial, with each trillium representing a person from the County and the City of Peterborough who was killed in the First World War—16 red trilliums for those killed at Vimy Ridge and the Battle of Hill 70, and 600 white trilliums for those killed in the rest of the war.

“The reason behind the trilliums is both to commemorate the casualties from the First World War, but especially the 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge and the Battle of Hill 70,” says Councillor Henry Clarke, Deputy Mayor, who is a retired Lieutenant Colonel.

Councillor Clarke got the inspiration for the initiative from the major art installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London, in London, England, in 2014 that marked 100 years since the first full day of Britain’s involvement in the First World War. The 888,246 poppies, each representing a British military fatality during the war, encircled the Tower to create a spectacular display.

Kawartha Potters Guild has partnered with Councillor Clarke to support this community initiative. Councillor Clarke is asking the community to support this act of remembrance by purchasing a trillium for $30 (with the trilliums delivered to their owners after the commemoration ceremony), or by giving a donation for the project through the City of Peterborough, which is eligible for a charitable tax receipt. It will cost about $18,000 to create the trilliums for the display at the memorial.

Money raised through the initiative will go toward the repair of the masonry base of the War Memorial.

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