Beyond the Ridge / Par-delà la Crête

We were joined by Carla-Jean Stokes, Canadian scholar, curator, and writer specializing in First World War photography. We discussed her research on William Ivor Castle, the stories behind iconic battlefield images, and how these photographs shaped ideas of heroism, sacrifice, and Canadian identity during and after the war.

Dans cet épisode, nous recevons le Dr Serge Durflinger, professeur d’histoire à l’Université d’Ottawa et spécialiste de l’histoire militaire canadienne. Ses recherches portent notamment sur l’impact de la guerre sur les Canadiens et Canadiennes, tant sur le front que sur le front intérieur.Auteur de nombreux ouvrages sur l’histoire militaire du Canada et du Québec, il s’intéresse particulièrement aux effets de la Grande Guerre sur les communautés locales et la vie quotidienne au pays.Nous discutons avec lui du front intérieur et de l’expérience des civils pendant la Première Guerre mondiale.

Dr. Matthew Leonard is an archaeologist and anthropologist of modern conflict, and a post-doctoral researcher at Birkbeck, University of London. His doctoral work at the University of Bristol examined the subterranean landscapes of the Western Front, and his research continues to explore how people engage with the physical and ecological legacies of modern war.He is Chairman of the Durand Group and Editor-in-Chief of the Western Front Association’s journal Stand To!. Dr. Leonard conducts regular fieldwork in France and Belgium, and has been widely published as well as featured in numerous documentaries on the First World War. 

In this episode, we sit down with John Moses, former Director of Repatriation and Indigenous Relations at the Canadian Museum of History. John discusses the legacy of residential schools, the experiences of Indigenous veterans during the First World War, and his family’s personal ties to this history, including his grandmother, Edith Montour, one of the first Indigenous women to serve as a nurse overseas.John also recently released his new book, Behind the Bricks: The Life and Times of the Mohawk Institute, Canada’s Longest-Running Residential School, offering a powerful look at the enduring impact of the residential school system and the importance of truth and remembrance.

Découvrez un premier aperçu de Mémorial de Vimy : Histoires vivantes—une nouvelle façon d’explorer l’histoire grâce à l’application mémorielle de la Fondation Vimy.Youtube: https://youtu.be/idrNMjhna9c

Get a first look at Vimy Memorial: Living Stories—a new way to explore history through the Vimy Foundation’s living memorial app.Watch on YouTube

Dr. Jane McGaughey is the Johnson Chair of Québec and Canadian Irish Studies at Concordia University and a historian with a Ph.D. from Birkbeck College, University of London. She is the author of Ulster's Men: Protestant Unionist Masculinities and Militarization in the North of Ireland, 1912-1923 and Violent Loyalties: Manliness, Migration, and the Irish in Canadas, 1798-1841. Jane is also host of The Irish in Canada Podcast, where she explores the stories of Irish immigrants and their descendants.

While many Canadians are familiar with major Western Front battles like Vimy Ridge, the Second Battle of Ypres in Flanders in 1915 was a pivotal moment for Canada. This battle marked the first large-scale use of poison chlorine gas by the Germans and was also the first major CAnadian engagement since our entry in the war in the fall of 1914.  Second Ypres was hugely important to the Canadian war narrative during the first years of the war, but after 1917 it was eclipsed by subsequent victories and in the century afterward has become mostly forgotten in public memory. Here to speak to us about that eclipse and the question of public memory is Dr. Geoffrey Bird.

Thomas Vennes est doctorant en histoire à l'Université de Sherbrooke. Il s'intéresse au mouvement de conquête coloniale français en Afrique de l'Ouest, en particulier au action politique et militaire des officiers français ainsi qu'à la résistance armée africaine. Lors de sa maîtrise, il a travaillé sur la guerre du Bani-Volta, une révolte paysanne dans le Burkina-Faso entre 1915 et 1916 provoquée par le recrutement de personnes africaines pour l'effort de guerre. Il s'est notamment intéressé à la mobilisation par les empires coloniaux des personnes colonisées lors de la Première Guerre mondiale.Photo: 9-12-15, camp des tirailleurs sénégalais à Fréjus [défilé des troupes au camp Robert] : [photographie de presse] / [Agence Rol] Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie, EST EI-13 (471)

Sarah Worthman is a freelance researcher and writer from St. John's, Newfoundland. Sarah researches a variety of topics including: human security, political history, and queer theory. Sarah received funding from the LGBT Purge Fund to conduct research on the history of LGBT persecution during the First World War. Sarah spent time working with Veterans Affairs Canada where she began her research on the History of LGBTQ+ Soldiers in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and is now the Executive Director of the Newfoundland Queer Research Initiative, who have recently launched the NL Digital Queer Archive. Check it out here!

Jesse Alexander is a Public Historian, Educator, Documentary Film Host, Researcher, and Writer. Jesse graduated from the University of Vienna/Austria with a masters in Modern History with a focus on First World War Political Cartoons. From there, Jesse spent years working in archives and traveling across Europe where he visited many sites from the war. Now, Jesse is the host of two popular history youtube channels where you may recognize him as the host of The Great War, and Real Time History channels. Through his documentaries and videos, Jesse has made war history accessible to a wide audience.Jesse has also worked closely with YOUkraine.at, a non-governmental organization dedicated to supporting Ukraine during the current conflict. Visit their site to learn more.

Dr. Sarah Lockyer est coordinatrice de Programme d'Identification des Pertes Militaires au sein du Ministère de la Défense Nationale du Canada et des Forces Armées Canadiennes. Sarah est titulaire d'un doctorat en bioarchéologie de l'université de Bournemouth. Elle est aujourd'hui anthropologue judiciaire pour le programme d'identification des victimes. Le programme vise à identifier les dépouilles récemment mises au jour de militaires canadiens des Première et Seconde Guerres mondiales ainsi que de la guerre de Corée, et à veiller à ce que ces personnes reçoivent une sépulture digne de ce nom, de leur unité et en présence des membres de leur famille.

Dr. Sarah Lockyer is the Casualty Identification Coordinator in Canada's Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. Sarah graduated with a PhD in Bioarchaeology from Bournemouth University, and now acts as the Casualty Identification Programs forensic anthropologist. The program works to identify newly uncovered remains of Canadian service members from the First and Second World Wars as well as the Korean War and ensures that these individuals are given a proper burial with their name, unit, and in the presence of their family members. 

Jesse Alexander est l'animateur de deux chaînes YouTube populaires consacrées à l'histoire. Vous le reconnaîtrez peut-être comme l'animateur des chaînes The Great War et Real Time History. Grâce à ses documentaires et à ses vidéos, Jesse a rendu l'histoire de la guerre accessible à un large public.YOUkraine.at est une organisation non gouvernementale qui se consacre au soutien de l'Ukraine pendant le conflit actuel. Visitez leur site pour en savoir plus.

Renée completed her bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in history at the University of Ottawa is now the Historian of Military Heritage for the Department of National Defence’s Directorate of History and Heritage where she researches the history and culture of the Canadian Armed Forces. Renée also manages the Canadian Forces Artists Program, and works as one of the researchers for the Canadian Casualty Identification Program.To apply, or learn more about the Canadian Forces Artists Program, visit the site here: Canadian Forces Artists Program - Canada.ca

 Dans cet épisode spécial hors-série,  Brintha Koneshachandra, notre animatrice, et Luca Sollail (historien, UdeM) abordent l'histoire de la communauté italienne canadienne pendant la Première Guerre mondiale. Quant à Madeleina Daigneault, récipiendaire du PPV 2021, elle nous parle des Métis! | Animation : Brintha Koneshachandra | Invité.e.s : Luca Sollai et Madeleina Daigneault | Générique : Sylvain Bellemare | Montage sonore : Guillaume Bouchard Labonté | Réalisation : Brintha Koneshachandra et Guillaume Bouchard Labonté. 

In this last episode of season 2, Melanie Ng (U. of T.) meets Sera Tulk, VPA 2021 recipient, who talks about the Newfoundland regiment at Gallipoli and Prof. Bohdan Kordan (University of Saskatchewan), specialist in Canada-Ukraine relations, who will introduce us to the internment of ‘enemy aliens’ in Canada during the First World War. | Host: Melanie Ng | Guests: Sera Tulk & Bohdan Kordan | Sound artist: Sylvain Bellemare | Sound editor: Guillaume Bouchard Labonté| Directors: Melanie Ng, Guillaume Bouchard Labonté 

Dans cet épisode, Brintha Koneshachandra et Christine Chevalier-Caron (historienne) discutent ensemble de l'histoire des communautés juives du Canada.Nous y faisons aussi la rencontre de Manuel Sauvé Chevalier, récipiendaire du PPV 2021, qui nous parle de pacifisme avant et pendant la Première Guerre mondiale.Animation: Brintha KoneshachandraInvité.e.s: Christine Chevalier-Caron et Manuel Sauvé ChevalierConception sonore: Sylvain BellemareMontage: Guillaume Bouchard LabontéRéalisation: Brintha Koneshachandra et Guillaume Bouchard Labonté. //In this installment, Brintha Koneshachandra, our host, and Christine Chevalier-Caron (historian) discuss the history of the Canadian Jewish communities. Manuel Sauvé Chevalier, VPA 2021 recipient, also tells us about pacifism before and during the First World War!Host: Brintha KoneshachandraGuests: Christine Chevalier-Caron & Manuel Sauvé ChevalierSound artist: Sylvain BellemareSound editor: Guillaume Bouchard LabontéDirectors: Brintha Koneshachandra & Guillaume Bouchard Labonté.  

In this episode, we learn, with Steven Purewal, about how the Punjab's Lahore Division came to fight alongside Canadian troops in Canada's "baptism of fire" at Ypres in April 1915. Ultimately more than 74,000 South Asians were killed across the various theatres of war in First World War. We also learn about the Treaty of Versailles with Olive Tao, BVP 2020 recipient.Host: Melanie NgGuests: Olive Tao & Steven PurewalSound artist: Sylvain BellemareSound editor: Guillaume Bouchard LabontéDirectors: Melanie Ng, Guillaume Bouchard Labonté 

Dans cet épisode, Brintha Koneshachandra et Webster (artiste, auteur et conférencier) discutent ensemble de l'histoire des communautés afrodescendantes du Canada pendant la Première Guerre mondiale et dans un contexte plus large! Nous y faisons aussi la rencontre d'Elliott Grondin, récipiendaire du PPV 2020, qui nous parle de rationnement pendant la Première Guerre mondiale.Animation: Brintha KoneshachandraInvités: Elliott Grondin et WebsterConception sonore: Sylvain BellemareMontage: Guillaume Bouchard LabontéRéalisation: Brintha Koneshachandra et Guillaume Bouchard Labonté. //In this installment, Brintha Koneshachandra, our host, and Webster (artist, writer & lecturer) discuss the history of Black Canadians during the First World War and beyond. Elliott Grondin, VPA 2020 recipient, also tells us about rationing in the First World War!

Dans ce second épisode de la deuxième saison, Brintha Koneshachandra (UdeM) rencontre Pascale Ouellette, récipiendaire du PVB 2020, qui parlera du droit de vote des femmes, et Éric Pouliot-Thisdale, chercheur en histoire, qui discutera avec notre animatrice du rôle militaire des Premières Nations au Canada, et de la défense de leurs droits à travers l'histoire.Animatrice: Brintha KoneshachandraInvité.e.s: Éric Pouliot-Thisdale et Pascale OuelletteConception sonore: Sylvain BellemareMontage: Guillaume Bouchard LabontéRéalisation: Brintha Koneshachandra, Guillaume Bouchard Labonté.

In this new installment, Melanie Ng (U. of T.) meets Nahira Gerster-Sim, VPA 2020 recipient, who talks about shell shock, and Mr. David Iwaasa, who presents the Japanese Canadian perspectives on the First World War through the story of his great-uncle, Seiichi Kinoshita.Host: Melanie NgGuests: Nahira Gerster-Sim & David IwaasaSound artist: Sylvain BellemareSound editor: Guillaume Bouchard LabontéDirectors: Melanie Ng, Guillaume Bouchard Labonté

Écoutez le 6e et dernier balado de la série Par-delà la Crête, créée en partenariat avec l’ONF. Dans cet épisode, nous discutons de la production du court métrage documentaire Vimy Retrouvé en compagnie de son réalisateur et producteur, Denis McCready (ONF), et de Marianne Goyette (Prix Beaverbrook 2014). //Listen to the 6th and last in our podcast series Beyond the Ridge, a partnership with the NFB. In this episode, we are exploring (in French) the making of Return to Vimy, a NFB short film documentary, with its director Denis McCready and Marianne Goyette (#BVP2014).  Credits/CréditsNarrator/Narration: Caitlin BaileySound design/conception sonore: Sylvain BellemareAudio editing/montage: Sean Grahamvimyfoundation.ca / fondationvimy.ca 

Listen to the 5th in our podcast series Beyond the Ridge, a partnership with the NFB. With the collaboration of the Canadian War Museum, we are talking about Commemoration and Veterans with Dr. Tim Cook, from the Canadian War Museum, and Prasanna Iyengar (VPA 2010).//Écoutez notre 5e balado de la série Par-delà la Crête, créée en partenariat avec l’ONF. Cette fois-ci, en collaboration avec le Musée Canadien de la Guerre, nous discutons (en anglais) de la commémoration et des vétérans en compagnie du Dr. Tim Cook (Mus. Can. de la Guerre), et de Prasanna Iyengar (Prix Vimy 2010). Credits/CréditsNarrator/Narration: Caitlin BaileySound design/conception sonore: Sylvain BellemareAudio editing/montage: Sean Grahamvimyfoundation.ca / fondationvimy.ca

Écoutez notre 4e balado de la série Par-delà la Crête, créée en partenariat avec l’ONF. En collaboration avec le Musée Canadien de la Guerre, nous y discutons de la Loi sur les mesures de guerre avec Mélanie Morin-Pelletier (Musée Canadien de la Guerre) et Yaman Awad (récipiendaire du Prix Vimy Beaverbrook 2017). //Listen to the 4th in our podcast series Beyond the Ridge, a partnership with the NFB. This time, with the collaboration of the Canadian War Museum, we are looking (in French) at the War Measures Act with Mélanie Morin-Pelletier (Canadian War Museum), and Yaman Awad (#BVP2017).  Credits/CréditsNarrator/Narration: Caitlin BaileySound design/conception sonore: Sylvain BellemareAudio editing/montage: Sean Grahamvimyfoundation.ca / fondationvimy.ca

Listen to the third in our podcast series Beyond the Ridge, a partnership with the NFB. In this episode, created in collaboration with the Toronto Zoo, we are looking at war and the environment with Dolf DeJong (Toronto Zoo), and Rose He (Beaverbrook Prize, 2019). Credits/CréditsNarrator/Narration: Caitlin BaileySound design/conception sonore: Sylvain BellemareAudio editing/montage: Sean Grahamvimyfoundation.ca / fondationvimy.ca

(Français) Voici notre 2e balado de la série Par-delà la Crête, créée en partenariat avec l’ONF. En collaboration avec le Club universitaire de Montréal, nous discuterons cette fois-ci du rôle des femmes en temps de guerre avec Chloé Poitras-Raymond (UQAM) et Andelina Habel-Thurton (récipiendaire du Prix Beaverbrook 2019).  Credits/CréditsNarrator/Narration: Caitlin BaileySound design/conception sonore: Sylvain BellemareAudio editing/montage: Sean Grahamvimyfoundation.ca / fondationvimy.ca

(English) The first instalment of this Vimy Foundation and NFB limited series, in collaboration with Defining Moments Canada, explores the 1918 Influenza Pandemic through the lens of Canadian military personnel of the Great War. This conversation between Kandace Bogaert (PhD in medical anthropology) and Caroline Tolton (Vimy Foundation program alumna) will look at Canada’s pandemic reality over a century ago and how it informs our current reactions to the Covid-19 crisis. Find further resources on our website.  Credits/CréditsNarrator/Narration: Caitlin BaileySound design/conception sonore: Sylvain BellemareAudio editing/montage: Sean Graham