This memorial is one of the eight battle sites for commemoration awarded to Canada by the governments of Belgium and France as a sign of gratitude for our sacrifice and support in liberating their countries.
A war-torn place
The village of Passchendaele (now Passendale) and surrounding area were associated with every phase of the First World War. In the middle of October 1914, Passchendaele was briefly under Allied control but by 20 October it was in German hands, where it remained for the next three years.
On 6 November 1917, after the severest fighting in most unfavourable weather, the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade took, and passed, the village; this fight was part of the Second Battle of Passchendaele, the last of the Battles of Ypres, 1917.