April 9th is a National Day of Remembrance to mark the Battle for Vimy Ridge, April 9th - 12th 1917.

The Battle began at 5:30 a.m. on Easter Monday, April 9, 1917. The first wave of 15,000-20,000 Canadian soldiers, many heavily laden with equipment, attacked through the wind-driven snow and sleet into the face of deadly machine gun fire. The Battle for Vimy Ridge proved to be a great success, but it only came at a heavy cost. The some 100,000 Canadians who served there suffered more than 10,600 casualties, nearly 3,600 of which were fatal.

To Mark the occasion, flags are flown at half mast across Canada.