Unknown but not forgotten

Vimy and Beaumont-Hamel are so amazing, but Canada has some beautiful war monuments too. The National War Memorial, in Ottawa, honours Canadians who fought and died for our country. In front of it can be found another very special memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It contains the remains of an unidentified Canadian who died during the First World War and was originally buried at a war cemetery in France. In the year 2000, however, this fallen soldier was taken back home to Canada.

The Unknown Soldier’s casket was placed on Parliament Hill where thousands of people came by to pay their respects. He was then reburied in a major ceremony where he came to represent all the Canadian men and women in uniform who have given their lives in service over the years. The low stone tomb is decorated with a bronze helmet and big sword, and has maple and laurel leaves on top. You can also find poppies and other neat symbolism around it, too. If you visit after a remembrance ceremony, you will also see that people really like to leave their own red poppies on it to show they care.

And the headstone that the unknown soldier originally had in France? It can now be found in its own special room at the Canadian War Museum, only about a two-kilometre cat stroll from the National War Memorial!