News

The Vimy Foundation expresses its deep sorrow at the passing of Madame Helen Vari

Date published:

March 17, 2023

In memoriam

The Vimy Foundation expresses its deep sorrow at the passing of Madame Helen Vari, C.M., Grand Officier de la Légion d’honneur, President of the George and Helen Vari Foundation, and honourary Co-Chair of The Vimy Foundation.

For decades, Helen Vari had been dedicated to serving her community. Through her remarkable philanthropic commitment and vision, she has been an unparalleled supporter of The Vimy Foundation, helping us to make possible the Vimy Visitor Education Centre and the Vimy Foundation Centennial Park, both at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France.

At the opening of the Vari Gate at the Vimy Foundation Centennial Park in April 2022, Madame Vari noted :

“When you step for the first time on Vimy soil, you are filled with emotion. You see all the beauty and sadness that permeate this place. And you know you are among friends. People who today reside in the area still remember what happened at Vimy and are thankful of what Canadians achieved there. You can imagine how proud we are to contribute to this very important historical cause.”

We will always remember Madame Vari’s grace, warmth, strength, and commitment to Canada. Helen, you will be sorely missed.

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Pick up our Vimy Foundation Hoodie and Tartan Socks together in this limited-time offer! A cold weather essential and an excellent gift! Our Tartan Socks were made in partnership with Friday Sock Co, a Calgary-based business, to create custom socks using the Vimy divisional stripes while our cotton blend hoodie is the same one used by our participants in their journeys across Belgium and France!

Hoodie and Sock Bundle!

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Vimy Foundation Pet Bandana

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Walter S. Allward: Life & Work chronicles the artist’s life from his formative years in Toronto working for the architectural firm Gibson and Simpson to his success as a leading sculptor. The book explores Allward’s early works, including the South African War Memorial in Toronto (1904–11), the Baldwin-Lafontaine Monument on Parliament Hill in Ottawa (1908–14), the Bell Memorial, commemorating Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone in Brantford (1909–17), and the Stratford War Memorial (1919–22), before discussing how the artist turned his talents toward the Vimy Memorial, an icon of Canadian sacrifice and a legacy for future generations. About the author Philip Dombowsky is an Archivist at the National Gallery of Canada. He holds an MA (Art History, Concordia) and a Master of Library and Information Studies (McGill). Dombowsky has curated numerous exhibitions for the NGC Library and Archives, most notably in the area of book design and illustration. He is the author of Index to the National Gallery of Canada’s Exhibition Catalogues and Checklists 1880–1930, which won the Melva J. Dwyer Award in 2008.

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