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This series of conversations brings together Vimy Foundation program alumni and expert academics to examine knowledge of the First World War and how it relates to the Canadian experience today.
Beyond the Ridge
By clicking on the links below, you will find the recordings of every webinar and more educational resources, podcasts included! You can also listen to the podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Apple Podcasts.
Beyond the Ridge
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March 28, 2025
Découvrez un premier aperçu de Mémorial de Vimy : Histoires vivantes—une nouvelle façon d’explorer l’histoire grâce à l’application mémorielle de la Fondation Vimy.
March 28, 2025
Get a first look at Vimy Memorial: Living Stories—a new way to explore history through the Vimy Foundation’s living memorial app.
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December 15, 2023
Thomas Vennes is a doctoral student in history at the University of Sherbrooke. He is interested in the French colonial conquest movement in West Africa, in particular the political and military action of French officers as well as African armed resistance. During his master's degree, he worked on the Bani-Volta War, a peasant revolt in Burkina Faso between 1915 and 1916 caused by the recruitment of African people for the war effort. Photo: 9-12-15, camp des tirailleurs sénégalais à Fréjus. Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie, EST EI-13 (471)
November 17, 2023
Sarah Worthman is a freelance researcher and writer from St. John's, Newfoundland. Sarah received funding from the LGBT Purge Fund to conduct research on the history of LGBT persecution during the First World War. Sarah spent time working with Veterans Affairs Canada where she began her research on the History of LGBTQ+ Soldiers in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and is now the Executive Director of the Newfoundland Queer Research Initiative, who have recently launched the NL Digital Queer Archive. Check it out at: http://nlqueerarchive.com/
November 10, 2023
Jesse Alexander is a Public Historian, Educator, Documentary Film Host, Researcher, and Writer. Jesse is the host of two popular history youtube channels where you may recognize him as the host of The Great War, and Real Time History channels. Through his documentaries and videos, Jesse has made war history accessible to a wide audienence. Jesse also has worked closely with YOUkraine.at, a non-governmental organization dedicated to supporting Ukraine during the current conflict. Visit their site to learn more.
November 3, 2023
Dr. Sarah Lockyer is the Casualty Identification Coordinator in Canada's Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. Sarah graduated with a PhD in Bioarchaeology from Bournemouth University, and now acts as the Casualty Identification Programs forensic anthropologist. The program works to identify newly uncovered remains of Canadian service members from the First and Second World Wars as well as the Korean War and ensures that these individuals are given a proper burial with their name, unit, and in the presence of their family members.
October 27, 2023
Dr. Sarah Lockyer is the Casualty Identification Coordinator in Canada's Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. Sarah graduated with a PhD in Bioarchaeology from Bournemouth University, and now acts as the Casualty Identification Programs forensic anthropologist. The program works to identify newly uncovered remains of Canadian service members from the First and Second World Wars as well as the Korean War and ensures that these individuals are given a proper burial with their name, unit, and in the presence of their family members.
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October 20, 2023
Jesse is the host of two popular history youtube channels where you may recognize him as the host of The Great War, and Real Time History channels. Through his documentaries and videos, Jesse has made war history accessible to a wide audience. YOUkraine.at is a Non-Governmental Organization dedicated to providing aid to Ukrainians during the current Conflict. Visit their site to learn more.
October 13, 2023
Renée completed her bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in history at the University of Ottawa is now the Historian of Military Heritage for the Department of National Defence’s Directorate of History and Heritage where she researches the history and culture of the Canadian Armed Forces. Renée also manages the Canadian Forces Artists Program, and works as one of the researchers for the Canadian Casualty Identification Program. To apply, or learn more about the Canadian Forces Artists Program, visit the official page: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/defence/caf/showcasing/artists-program.html
Beyond the Ridge
The second season of Beyond the Ridge was recorded in 2021 and hosted by Melanie Ng, Brintha Koneshachandra.
March 31, 2022
In this last episode of season 2, Melanie Ng (U. of T.) meets Sera Tulk, VPA 2021 recipient, who talks about the Newfoundland regiment at Gallipoli and Prof. Bohdan Kordan (University of Saskatchewan), specialist in Canada-Ukraine relations, who will introduce us to the internment of ‘enemy aliens’ in Canada during the First World War. | Host: Melanie Ng | Guests: Sera Tulk & Bohdan Kordan | Sound artist: Sylvain Bellemare | Sound editor: Guillaume Bouchard Labonté| Directors: Melanie Ng, Guillaume Bouchard Labonté
January 12, 2022
In this installment, Brintha Koneshachandra, our host, and Christine Chevalier-Caron (historian) discuss the history of the Canadian Jewish communities. Manuel Sauvé Chevalier, VPA 2021 recipient, also tells us about pacifism before and during the First World War! | Host: Brintha Koneshachandra | Guests: Christine Chevalier-Caron & Manuel Sauvé Chevalier | Sound artist: Sylvain Bellemare | Sound editor: Guillaume Bouchard Labonté | Directors: Brintha Koneshachandra & Guillaume Bouchard Labonté.
November 5, 2021
In this episode, we learn, with Steven Purewal, about how the Punjab's Lahore Division came to fight alongside Canadian troops in Canada's "baptism of fire" at Ypres in April 1915. Ultimately more than 74,000 South Asians were killed across the various theatres of war in First World War. We also learn about the Treaty of Versailles with Olive Tao, BVP 2020 recipient. | Host: Melanie Ng | Guests: Olive Tao & Steven Purewal | Sound artist: Sylvain Bellemare | Sound editor: Guillaume Bouchard Labonté | Directors: Melanie Ng, Guillaume Bouchard Labonté
July 15, 2021
In this episode, Brintha Koneshachandra, our host, and Webster (artist, writer & lecturer) are discussing the history of Black Canadians during the First World War and beyond. Elliott Grondin, VPA 2020 recipient, also tells us about rationing in the First World War! | Host: Brintha Koneshachandra | Guests: Webster & Elliott Grondin | Sound artist: Sylvain Bellemare | Sound Editor: Guillaume Bouchard Labonté | Directors: Brintha Koneshachandra & Guillaume Bouchard Labonté
June 21, 2021
In this episode, Brintha Koneshachandra (UdeM), and Éric Pouliot-Thisdale (UQAM), discuss the First Nations at war and civil rights. Pascale Ouellette, BVP 2020 recipient, also tells us about women and vote rights after the First World War. | Host: Brintha Koneshachandra | Guests: Éric Pouliot-Thisdale & Pascale Ouellette | Sound artist: Sylvain Bellemare | Sound Editor: Guillaume Bouchard Labonté | Directors: Brintha Koneshachandra & Guillaume Bouchard Labonté |
May 19, 2021
In this new episode, Melanie Ng (U. of T.) meets Nahira Gerster-Sim, VPA 2020 recipient, who talks about shell shock, and Mr. David Iwaasa, who presents the Canadian Japanese perspectives on the First World War through the story of his great-uncle, Seiichi Kinoshita. | Host: Melanie Ng | Guests: Nahira Gerster-Sim & David Iwaasa | Sound artist: Sylvain Bellemare | Sound editor: Guillaume Bouchard Labonté| Directors: Melanie Ng, Guillaume Bouchard Labonté
Beyond the Ridge
The First season of Beyond the Ridge was created in 2020, in partnership with The National Film Board and Veterans Affairs Canada.
October 15, 2020
The sixth instalment of this limited series, in partnership with the NFB, explored the production of the short documentary film Return to Vimy. This conversation between Denis McCready, film director, and Marianne Goyette, 2014 Beaverbrook Prize recipient, looked at the importance of historical authenticity in filmmaking.
September 17, 2020
The fifth instalment of this limited series, in partnership with the Canadian War Museum, explored veterans and commemorations. This conversation between Dr. Tim Cook, acting director of research at the Canadian War Museum, and Prasanna Iyengar, 2010 Vimy Prize Alumnus, looked at the signification of collective memory.
August 20, 2020
Listen to the 4th in our podcast series Beyond the Ridge, a partnership with the NFB. This time, with the collaboration of the Canadian War Museum, we are looking (in French) at the War Measures Act with Mélanie Morin-Pelletier (Canadian War Museum), and Yaman Awad (BVP 2017). Directed by: Alexandru Stratulat.
July 23, 2020
Listen to the 3rd in our podcast series Beyond the Ridge, a partnership with the NFB. In this episode, created in collaboration with the Toronto Zoo, we are looking at war and the environment with Dolf DeJong (Toronto Zoo), and Rose He (Beaverbrook Prize, 2019). Directed by Alexandru Stratulat.
June 18, 2020
In this second instalment, created in partnership with the Montréal University Club, we explore the role of women during the First and Second World Wars with Chloé Raymond-Poitras (UQAM) and Andelina Habel-Thurton (BVP 2019). Directed by Alexandru Stratulat.
May 21, 2020
The first instalment of this limited series, in collaboration with Defining Moments Canada, explores the 1918 Influenza Pandemic through the lens of Canadian military personnel of the Great War. This conversation between Kandace Bogaert (PhD in medical anthropology) and Caroline Tolton (Vimy Foundation program alumna) will look at Canada’s pandemic reality over a century ago and how it informs our current reactions to the Covid-19 crisis.
The Vimy Foundation wants to recognize the generous support of the Government of British Columbia.
NFB.ca, the National Film Board of Canada’s award-winning online Screening Room, featuring over 3,000 productions. We showcase films that take a stand on issues of global importance that matter to Canadians—stories about the environment, human rights, international conflict, the arts and more.
