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INTRODUCTION

Vimy, Hill 70, Passchendaele.
Three battles where Canada prevailed.
One where Canada led: Hill 70.

Among Canada’s great First World War battles, Hill 70 stands beside Vimy and Passchendaele in shaping our national story. At Vimy, Canadians fought together on a single ridge; at Passchendaele, they endured unimaginable hardship in the mud. Hill 70 is equally significant—but for a different reason. Here, for the first time, an all‑Canadian commander, Lt.-Gen. Sir Arthur Currie, and an all‑Canadian Corps planned and executed a major operation, using innovative tactics to seize and hold the vital high ground outside Lens. The capture of Hill 70 was a moment when Canadian leadership, strategy, and determination came fully into their own.

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A REMEMBRANCE

The Hill 70 Monument

The Hill 70 Monument at Loos-en Gohelle, now anchors this story in stone and landscape. Rising on ground that overlooks the battlefield, it honours those who fought and died, but it also marks the moment Canada stepped forward as a nation capable of leading in its own right. For visitors today, the monument is more than a place of remembrance; it is a lens on questions that still matter—about leadership, sacrifice, and the responsibilities that come with nationhood. As present and future generations walk its paths, Hill 70 invites Canadians – and all visitors – to consider how the courage, determination, and choices of 1917 can inform the freedom and values we enjoy and defend today, and in the years ahead.

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NOTABLE

An all-Canadian-led and fought battle.

The Battle of Hill 70 (August 1917) was a watershed moment in Canada's shift from colony to independent ally. Under Lieutenant-General Arthur Currie, the all-Canadian operation successfully challenged a British plan before seizing and holding vital high ground north of Lens against relentless German counterattacks. Driven by a collaborative culture, empowered junior leaders, and innovative tactics that integrated artillery, infantry, engineers, and air support, the victory strengthened Currie's authority, amplified Canada's voice at the peace table, and forged a distinct Canadian way of war built on initiative, innovation, and care for its troops.

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