Purpose of Pilgrimages

Nearly 1,750,000 men and women served for Canada during the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War. Approximately 116,000 died as a result of their service.

Part of the mandate of Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) is to keep the memory of their achievements and sacrifices alive for all Canadians.

One of the ways the department fulfils this commemoration mandate is by organizing pilgrimages to former battlefield sites to mark milestone anniversaries of significant wartime events in which Canada figured prominently. By returning to these former battlefields and the surrounding war cemeteries, Canada pays tribute to the participating veterans, focuses public attention on the experiences of all veterans of that wartime event and pays its respects to those who were left behind. Canada had a policy of burying its war dead near where they fell so these pilgrimages are one way of demonstrating that neither time nor distance has lessened our remembrance.

In recent years, VAC has undertaken to increase awareness of Canada's military history amongst young Canadians. A number of students, hailing from different parts of the country and some of whom represent Canadian cadet organizations, are now routinely included as members of the pilgrimage delegations.