Port Weller West in St. Catharines in Niagara Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
The Battle of Vimy Ridge/The History of Vimy Oak Trees
Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 7, 2024
1. The Battle of Vimy Ridge/ The History of Vimy Oak Trees Marker
The Battle of Vimy Ridge
The Battle of Vimy Ridge, in which 3,598 Canadians soldiers paid the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the rights and freedoms of all Canadians, was a significant moment in our Nation's history and the development of a sense of Canadian identity. Where allied troops had struggled and failed, Canadian soldiers overcame great odds and captured the ridge after four days of fighting.
This tree has been gifted to the Rotary Club of St. Catharines Lakeshore by the Vimy Oaks Legacy Corporation for Ansell Park as a living tribute to all Canadian soldiers who fought in the First World War.
Non Nobis Sed Patriae
Not for us but for our country
The History of Vimy Oak Trees
This oak tree is a direct descendent of acorns gathered from the many fallen oak trees that were destroyed in the Battle of Vimy Ridge, France, by Lieutenant Leslie Miller, Canadian Signal Corps, in April 1917. He sent them home to Scarborough, Ontario with instructions to have them planted on his family farm. They were later named "The Vimy Oaks" and still flourish there today.
Erected by City of St. Catharines.
Topics.
this page online
Location. 43° 12.848′ N, 79° 12.766′ W. Marker is in St. Catharines, Ontario, in Niagara Region. It is in Port Weller West. It is on Welland Canal Trail, on the left when traveling north. The marker is on the trail in Charles Ansell Park, accessible from the parking lot at the intersection of Bunting Road and Parnell Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 275 Welland Canal Trail, St Catharines ON L0S 1T0, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe and in Niagara Canada. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Ruperts Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Charles A. Ansell Park (here, next to this marker); Port Weller Dry Docks
Photographed by Tim Boyd, 117/2024
2. The Battle of Vimy Ridge/ The History of Vimy Oak Trees Marker
the Vimy Oak is to the right of the marker
Also see . . . Canadas Vimy Oaks Soldier (Vimy Oaks Legacy).
Although present at many of the horrifying battles of World War One, Leslie Millers war diary is largely devoted to the friendships he cultivated with local French families, his fellow soldiers, his interaction with German prisoners and the nature he discovered around him.(Submitted on December 6, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario.)
Upon returning to Canada, for health reasons, Lieutenant Miller was unable to resume his teaching career. His father gave him 24 acres of the family farm where his Vimy Oaks were growing. He replanted the oaks as part of his woodlot that also included sugar maples, black walnutand other hardwoods. Leslie named his land The Vimy Oaks.circa 19173. Lieutenant Leslie H. Miller, ca 1917
Credits. This page was last revised on December 7, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 6, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 153 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 6, 2024, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
