In April of 2007, Alexandre Boulerice took issue with all the memorials he saw commemorating the First World War Battle of Vimy Ridge, writing at a left-leaning, French-language blog:
Les autorités célébraient dernièrement le rôle déterminant des soldats canadiens dans l’immonde bataille de Vimy en 1917. À ce moment, des milliers de pauvres bougres se sont fait massacrer pour prendre possession d’une colline. Fauchés trop tôt, enlevés à la vie et à leurs amours.
Pourquoi ? Parce que le Canada se trouvait aux ordres de la Grande-Bretagne, et que celle-ci répondait à l’appel de la France, alors aux prises avec l’Allemagne de William II.
Pourquoi ? Parce que ces deux nations européennes se livraient une lutte à finir pour le contrôle de matières premières, de colonies, de marchés extérieurs. Une guerre de bourgeois qui voulaient faire encore plus de fric. Une guerre purement capitaliste, sur le dos des ouvriers et des paysans. Remarquez, aujourd’hui, plus personne n’y pense. À quoi bon. Il n’y a que le « sacrifice » et la « bravoure » à célébrer.
Vous entendrez encore moins le rappel qu’à l’époque, les seuls à avoir refusé cette boucherie, à avoir rejeté l’appel de l’ « union sacrée » au sein de chacune des nations, étaient les militants et militantes communistes.
Cruel, mais habituel regard sur le passé : les perdants de l’histoire ne peuvent avoir eu raison. Même contre la barbarie et l’inhumanité.
Alexandre Boulerice
Here’s one English translation of that:
Recently, authorities have celebrated the important role that Canadian soldiers played in that filthy battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917. At that time, thousands of poor buggers [fellows] were massacred in order to take a hill. Cut down too young, taken from their lives and their loves.
Why? Because Canada was under the orders of Great Britain, and the latter responded to the call from France, which was involved in a struggle with Wilhelm II’s Germany.
Why? Because these two European nations were in a struggle to the death for primary resources, of colonies, of foreign markets. A war between the bourgeois who wanted to make more money. A purely capitalist war on the backs of workers and peasants.
Note that today no one thinks about it. What good would it do? There is only ‘sacrifice’ and ‘bravery’ to celebrate.
You will hear even less that at the time, the only people who refused this butchery and to have rejected this “Sacred Union” within each nation were communist militants.
Cruel but usual look on history: History’s losers can never have been right. Even against barbarity and inhumanity.
Though it’s a six-year-old blog post, it came to light this week in the English language press, during memorials for the 96th anniversary of Vimy Ridge, courtesy of colleague Daniel Proussalidis and, you won’t be surprised to hear, the Conservatives were all over Boulerice. Today in Calgary, Prime Minister Stephen Harper waded in, calling the Boulerice comments, “outrageous, inflammator, unacceptable.” With Boulerice under attack, New Democrats have been bashing right back defending their man. Soon, there was a huge online bun fight between right and left over Boulerice’s comments. This has been but one what I suspect will be continuing arguments over how these two parties interpret key historical events in Canada’s development.
In the meantime, Boulerice himself has been at the centre of this firestorm. On his Facebook page, Boulerice is alternately praised and glorified for his point of view or damned and vilified. Tonight, though, to one of his critics, Boulerice posted the following at his Facebook page:
Alexandre Boulerice NPD The story as reported by Sun news is inaccurate. I can assure you that I have the utmost respect for all our veterans and never criticized the role of the Canadian military personnel in WWI, nor in any other war. And we can always analyse the context of every conflict.The men and women who serve in our forces are doing a dangerous job, under difficult circumstances and deserve our gratitude.
My priority, as an MP, is to make sure that we take care of our veterans and we treat them with the respect they deserve.
For any who have been offended, I apologize. Be assured it was never my intention to in any way criticize Canada’s veterans.
And, for the record, here is the “Official Statement” from the Leader of the Official Opposition, New Democrat Thomas Mulcair on the 96th anniversary of that Battle:
Today marks the 96th anniversary of the Canadian Corps taking Vimy Ridge, a momentous day in Canadian history.
In April of 1917, all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force battled side by side and took control of the escarpment, 3,600 of whom made the ultimate sacrifice.
The Canadian soldiers’ tremendous bravery, sound strategic planning and powerful artillery support are widely credited with the success of this mission. It is a point of pride for all Canadians that our soldiers serving today are still recognised as embodying those fine qualities.
As we remember the sacrifices made by Canadian Armed Forces members currently striving to bring stability and peace to troubled regions, we also turn our thoughts to their families and loved ones whose unwavering support help them to do this honourable duty.
Lest we forget.
David Akin. Your coverage of Vimy Ridge and teh memorial is appropriate. And I would also say that your reporting and translation of Boulerice’s blog is fair. However I do feel strongly that anyone who has the freedom to run for government office in our wonderful coutry, even if, or maybe especially if, he comes from Quebec should be very careful to speak respectfully of our war dead and veterans. Therefore. Shame on Alexandre Boulerice. My 19 year old Great Uncle George died April 24th, 1915 and lies forever buried in the trenches of France. He fought and died to give us the gift of freedom from tyranny. His name is inscribed on the wall of the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres in the Province of West Flanders in France. He never had the opportunity to have a career, to marry or have a family. He was not even old enough to vote or have a drink before he gave up his life so that fools like you could have the freedom to spew your vacuous rhetoric. War is never good, so go ahead and question all wars but be very careful to also look at what a different outcome of a war could have meant for those of us who are here today. And while you may think it appropriate to call my Great Uncle a “poor bugger”, I find it extremely disrespectful to speak of him and his short life in such crude terms.
As usual with these types of issues the line from the pro-war types seems to be “The brave soldiers died for your rights to freedom of speech, how dare you use that freedom”
I am not saying I am opposed to Canada’s role in WWI (or WWII) for that matter, but I do respect the RIGHTS of those people who actually DO disagree with Canada’s intervention into those wars. They have every much of a right to that freedom of speech as I do.
I was (and remain) vehemently opposed to Canada’s interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan – would you take away my right to speak ill of those endeavors? What would the soldiers of WWI and II have to say about that?