School of media & Digital art

Background

During World War I, over a million Indian soldiers served in various theaters of the war, including Europe, Africa, Indian and Canadian soldiers often fought side by side in key battles on the Western Front, such as Ypres, Neuve Chapelle, the Somme, and Vimy Ridge.

If Indian troops in the Lahore Division hadn’t arrived in October and November of 1914 in the Flanders area of Belgium, the Germans would have taken the ports and the Canadian Expeditionary Force would not have landed on the European mainland. John McCrae’s poem In Flanders Field would not have been written. The Flanders’ territory was basically held by the British and Indians in the first battle of Ypres. Six months later, Canadians landed and then fought jointly with Indian soldiers in the second battle of Ypres.

The memorial will provide a site for quiet reflection and inspiration, reminding future generations of the selfless sacrifice and valour of our ancestors, Indians & Canadian soldiers, who were brothers-in-arms, fighting alongside each other.

Eventually over a few years, we envision the site to be transformed into a well maintained beautiful green space with a beautiful stone memorial, trails, benches and display along the trail and the memorial that will tell the untold stories of these soldiers and a testimony of the friendship and ties of India & Canada. The stormwater pond will add to the ambiance of the site, turning it into a park for quiet reflection, paying our respects and celebrations (during Remembrance day etc.)