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There is no mountain in Mountain, Ont., nor scarcely a mound or embankment. But there is, in this village, a monument to the Battle of Hill 70. It’s the only such commemoration in Canada and, for a century, until one was erected in France last year, it was the only one in the world.

On Sunday, 75 people gathered to remember the 1917 battle in silence and in song, as singers Garth Hampson and Marleen Fawcett, accompanied by pianist Helen Hyndman, performed music associated with the two world wars — Oh, What a Lovely War; It’s a Long Way to Tipperary; We’ll Meet Again.

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The ceremony, hosted by radio personality Rob Clipperton, whose grandfather Billie died on Hill 70, also featured piper Jack Yourt and bugler Charles Armstrong; a reading of In Flanders Fields; the laying of ceremonial wreaths; and the deafening firings of a Second World War six-pounder anti-tank gun.

Photo by Bruce Deachman / Bruce Deachman

The Battle of Hill 70, which took place near the French village of Lens over 10 days in August 1917, was remarkable for a number of reasons. It was the first major battle with Canadian troops led by a Canadian commander — General Sir Arthur Currie. It was also a battle during which Canadian troops proved their wartime mettle, as they first captured the hill, named for its elevation in metres above sea level, then successfully fought off 21 German counterattacks to hold the higher ground.