Over the Canadian Battlefields Notes of a Little Journey in France, in March, 1919

A young journalist’s 1919 journey takes listeners across the scarred fields of northern France, where the remnants of ruined churches and monasteries loom over the sites where Canadian troops fought. He writes with the immediacy of a fresh‑off‑the‑press reporter, describing the stark landscape, the lingering smell of mud, and the quiet reverence that already surrounds places like Vimy Ridge and Arras. His observations capture both the physical hardships of the terrain and the emerging sense that these battlegrounds will become a lasting pilgrimage for future generations of Canadians.

The narrative also explores the practical hurdles of visiting a still‑restricted military zone, noting the need for special passes and the lack of civilian accommodations. Yet the author envisions a future where marked shrines, maps, and memorials guide visitors through the historic sites, turning the battlefield into a living classroom of sacrifice and national pride. Listeners will hear the early stirrings of a national memory that, even a century later, continues to shape Canada’s identity.