Mayor, MP Dedicate Statue In Arras, France

Honours soldiers who fought at Vimy Ridge

A delegation from Barrie, including Mayor Jeff Lehman, MP John Brassard and Honourary Colonel James Massie, has dedicated a statue at the city hall in Arras, France. The statue of a bugler, marking the 100th anniversary of the Canadian victory at Vimy Ridge, is similar to another at Base Borden. It is intended to honour the memory of those who lost their lives in the fight for freedom and build on the ongoing relationship between Barrie and Arras. “The presentation of this statue and its hosting at L’Hotel De Ville symbolizes the ties between the City of Barrie and La Ville D’Arras,” said Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman. “Many of the Canadian soldiers who died at Vimy were trained in warfare at CFB Borden. The ties between Barrie and Arras were forged by our soldiers one hundred years ago, whose sacrifice will never be forgotten. This statue calls us to remember their bravery.”

Barrie-area resident Marlene Hilton Moore is the artist who created the statue, which is called The Bugler. There is a second identical statue; the other stands at the Borden Legacy Monument in Barrie, and was dedicated by the Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau at a ceremony on June 9, 2016. Moore is internationally recognized for her work and is the sculptor of The Valiants Memorial, a monument to 350 years of the evolution of Canada through its military conflicts, which rings the Canadian National War Memorial in Ottawa, Canada.
The statue was commissioned by a group of individuals in Barrie who wished to recognize the one hundred years of Canadian military commitment to freedom, the special ties between Canada and France, and between Barrie and Arras. Led by H.Col. James Massie, these individuals formed the Borden Legacy Project to recognize “one hundred years of freedom”. The statue is entirely funded by private donors.

banner photo: MP John Brassard via Twitter

James Massie, CFB Borden Honorary Colonel, unveils the bugler statue at Arras Hotel de ville, April 10, 2017. The statue was presented to the City of Arras as a sign of the friendship forged between the two cities.
Photo: Sgt Pierre Thériault, CFB Borden Base Imagery

His Worship Jeff Lehman, Mayor of Barrie, speaks at a ceremony unveiling the bugler statue at Arras City Hall, April 10, 2017.
Photo: Sgt Pierre Thériault, CFB Borden Base Imagery

The Right Honorable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, speaks at a ceremony unveiling the bugler statue at Arras City Hall, April 10, 2017.
Photo: Sgt Pierre Thériault, CFB Borden Base Imagery

Arras City Hall, France, April 10,2017
Photo: Sgt Pierre Thériault, CFB Borden Base Imagery