It will be 105 years to the day on Saturday that the Battle of Vimy Ridge took place during World War I.

Nutana Legion in Saskatoon is going to commemorate that important turning point in Canada’s growing up as a country. The battle in 1917 was the first time the four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force fought together allowing Canada to step out of Britain’s shadow.

Legion President Bill Flahr says their museum, which features artifacts from World War I – among many other engagements by the Canadian military – will be open at 3 pm with volunteers on hand to help guide and answer questions.

The evening also includes a presentation on the battle, a meal which is a traditional trench dinner, along with dancing and live music. Flahr says a trench dinner is stew so there will be beef stew and biscuits with a ration of rum.

He says you have to purchase your tickets by Thursday at 4 p.m.so they can get their food order in to the caterer. Flahr says attendance at the Nutana Legion is still down compared to pre-pandemic but is starting to build back slowly and they are seeing more activity in terms of hall rental with a some of the weddings, deferred from the pandemic, finally having an opportunity to celebrate.

Within the first few months of the pandemic a dozen branches of the Royal Canadian Legion in Saskatchewan were reporting they were in financial trouble in the wake of the global shut down. Late in 2020 the federal government created the Veterans Organizations Emergency Support Fund which provided funding to help the Royal Canadian Legion, Anavets, True Patriot Love and Vets Canada.