Trudeau to mark 100 years of Vimy battle that defined Canada

VIMY, France (AP) — An ocean away from home, spilling their blood on a remote ridge in the muddied battlefields of northern France a century ago, many would argue that Canadians earned the right to become a nation here.

In a fledgling nation looking for a sense of self, trying to set it apart from British rule, the battle provided everything it needed — the vision of an underdog beating the odds, a show of courage, resolve and unity.

On Sunday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau plans to visit the fertile countryside of France, where any hill with a view was fought over with a blind determination costing thousands of lives in World War I. He will be joined by other dignitaries, including Princes Charles, William and Harry.

Yet statues of the Weeping Woman and two mourners, and the list of 11,285 soldiers posted "missing, presumed dead," makes it a solemn pilgrimage site.