Project Story

A Monumental Effort

The Hill 70 Memorial Park & Monument is the result of the extraordinary vision, dedication, and diligence of a remarkable group of Canadians. Their volunteer driven project drew upon the talents, insights, and skillsets of a broad cross section of community leaders from backgrounds as diverse as banking, finance, architecture, business, teaching, and various branches of the profession of arms, to name but a few. All worked together in order to transform an idea for a Canadian memorial into a meaningful public space where the story of Hill 70 can be shared with future generations.

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Thanks to the generosity of the citizens of Loos-en-Gohelle, France, a prominent location – donated by their city – was secured by the Hill 70 Project Team. Situated within a five-hectare municipal park and lying adjacent to a Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, its grounds are just inside what was once the Canadian front line of August 1917. That setting gives the Hill 70 Memorial a deep significance in both Canadian and European history, linking the courage and sacrifice of the Canadian Corps to the landscape where to the landscape where the battle was fought and now remembered.

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The Memorial also carries a powerful personal meaning. General Sir Arthur Currie, commander at Hill 70, lamented for the remainder of his life that no such remembrance existed that recognized the Battle of Hill 70 in France. This Park answers that void with dignity and pride, creating the tribute he believed Hill 70 deserved. It stands as an important memorial to the men who fought and fell there, and to the Canadian Corps’ determination, skill, and unity in one of the First World War’s defining victories. Every detail of the Park is well considered, taking important cues from the Battle of Hill 70 and etching them into the grounds for all posterity to know and see.

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For visitors, Hill 70 offers more than remembrance. It is a destination of beauty, meaning, and national pride — a place where Canadians and visitors from around the world can connect with a story of resilience, leadership, sacrifice, and collective effort that deserves to stand among Canada’s greatest wartime achievements.