Diving into World War history: France, Germany, and Belgium

Ilia Mehr Bakhsh ’23

Chief Editor

Flanders and Vimy Ridge. We had the chance to honour those who fought in the First World War, and visiting the Vimy Ridge Memorial Site left a lasting im- students: Liam McConnell ’24 and Matthew McConnell ’24, found a family member whose name was inscribed on the gate.

Perrett ’24 and I scootered around the city and visited the Italian-inspired buildings and the English Garden.

This past Spring Break, I had the privilege and pleasure of going on one of the Europe trips with Mr. Dainard, Mrs. Kochanski, Dr. Puchniak, and Mr. Schroeder, along with 29 other amazing grade 10, 11, and 12 students.

We left Winnipeg to Paris on March 23rd. In Paris, we were mesmerized by the brick-road streets, the gothic-style churches, and the Haussmann-style apartments.

From March 23rd to March 25th, we visited the Louvre, walked the Parisian streets, passed by Sorbonne University, and the Arc du Triomphe. We also visited Versailles, and watched the Eiffel Tower shimmer in the cold evening sky.

On March 26th, we went to

pact and sense of patriotism.

On March 27th, we continued our trip by visiting to Passchendale Memorial Park, Tyne Cot National Cemetery, and In Flanders Fields Museum. We also had the chance to explore the charming town of Ypres in Belgium. There, we had some exceptional Belgian waffles and Belgian chocolate.

We then made our way to the Menin Gate where two St. Paul’s

The McConnell brothers were invited to participate in Ypres’s daily service in remembrance of those lost.

After our visit in Ypres, we returned to Paris on March 28th and visited Montmartre and the Sacré-CouerCoeur. Going to Montmartre, purchasing art from a local Parisian and going atop the Sacré-Coueur were some of my favourite parts of the trip.

On March 29th and 30th, we traveled to Munich by train where we visited the Marienplatz, BMW headquarters, and had the most extraordinary gentlemen give us a tour of Munich.

In Munich, Sports Editor Luke

On March 30th, we visited the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial, which was the site of one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany. For all of us, the most powerful and emotional part of the trip was this visit. The educational purpose of this trip was truly fulfilled during this visit.

We also traveled to Nuremberg where we visited the Documentation Centre, a Nazi-history Museum, and the Nazi Party rally grounds. We then had a few hours to explore the city of Nuremberg.

After many educational opportunities, rainy days, evening strolls, and eating exceptional pastries, we returned home on April 1st.

I will cherish every memory I made on this trip and thank the teachers who planned this experience for us.