April 9, 2017 will mark the 100th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge. From April 3-9, the Canadian government, with other organizations, will attempt to stir our souls with a sanitized version of the battle of Vimy Ridge. Using the occasion to further militarize our society and promote a system that profits from continuous war, they will regale us with tales of past glories and the birth of a nation.

In reality, Vimy Ridge is a dark story of military slaughter that saw over 10,500 Canadian soldiers wounded, 3,600 dead and thousands more missing in action. If truth be told, the battle of Vimy Ridge was just one of the contemptible and insane acts of violence committed against humanity during WW1.

It’s time to tell the real story of lives lost and the resistance of soldiers on the front lines. While soldiers broke ranks, resistance at home was led by the left and the women’s movement igniting a fight against conscription, particularly in Quebec.

On April 9, we invite you to join us in a very important commemoration to both lives lost at Vimy Ridge and resistance to war. With your participation, we hope to build a cross-Canada chorus of anti-war readings of Motherhouse and Bolsheviki by David Fennario, two plays that deliver blistering condemnations of war while celebrating resistance from the bottom up.

Motherhouse is a one-woman drama that gives voice to disillusioned working-class women employed at the British Munitions Factory in Verdun, Quebec, during WWI, as told by factory worker, Josephine Lillabit Bradley, based on eye witness accounts. Their discontent leads to a strike.

Bolsheviki is a one-man story about rebellion in the trenches of WWI that also results in resistance, as told by Harry “Rosie” Rollins, based on eye witness accounts.

David Fennario is a Montreal playwright and winner of two Chalmers’ awards and the Pauline Julien award.

Help build a massive, noisy protest to challenge the spectacle of war we are sure to be subjected to on the 100th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge. By becoming part of this anti-war event, you will be inspiring community action and communication. It’s a great way to be part of the larger anti-war movement.

To remember is to end all war.

Montreal Contact: Jane Gilchrist, [email protected] - 514-842-3208

Website: http://vimyridging.weebly.com/