Vimy Ridge

While Vimy Ridge caused great positive change for Canada, it had also divided Canada’s politics on a massive scale. Vimy Ridge’s losses forced the Canadian government lead by the Prime Minister Robert Borden to adopt a policy of conscription. This policy was hugely disliked all over Canada, mainly by Francophones in Quebec. The policy lead to a series of heated debates which divided the government from 1917 to 1918. The protests against conscription got so bad that four people were killed and several injured in riots across Quebec city . In the end, conscription had almost no impact on the war. Only 48,000 conscripts made it overseas and only half of those fought on the front. However, the damage had already been done, the debate over conscription would divide the country for many years to come. Vimy Ridge was a key factor in starting conscription, which ultimately lead to a more politically divided Canada.