A 17-year-old student from Wallaceburg District Secondary School is back from Vimy Ridge with a deeper appreciation for Canada's history.
Raymond Yang recently traveled to France for the Battle of Vimy Ridge celebrations.
"To actually be there -- to actually be present in what was battlefields and strategic checkpoints, it really brought to life this message that we can't be secluded," says Yang. "It's important that we welcome people, we open our borders with open arms, and [instill that] this idea of nationality and patriotism can co-exist with globalism."
There were some safety concerns with going to France at the time, but Yang says the experience turned out even better than he expected it to be.
"We go there expecting to be fearful, to be scared of what was around us but it's hard not to fall in love with the beauty and the culture and the people that are there," says Yang.
While in Vimy, Yang visited several cemeteries, attended services, and also took a tour through an underground quarry that was, at one point, used as an army base. Yang says while he was down there, he saw writing on the walls that had been perfectly preserved throughout the years.
Yang might also get the opportunity to share this experience with the Minister of Education soon because he was recently appointed to the 2017-2018 Minister's Student Advisory Council.
Yang is one of 60 students chosen for the council.
