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Soldiers from the 11th Battalion were reviewing their equipment when this photograph was taken at Valcartier in 1914. When World War I broke out, Valcartier was the main base for military training in Canada. Valcartier is located just outside Québec City. The Québec City area was once again a strategic location in war!
1899 - 1919

World War I parade

World War I broke out in 1914. Over 300,000 Canadians, mostly English-speaking, volunteered to fight overseas. The first contingent set sail for England on October 3, 1914. During the conflict, some 630,000 individuals enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. During this time in Quebec, the conscription crisis crystallized in 1917 with a deep rift in public opinion over Canadians’ involvement in the war. In all, over 61,000 soldiers lost their lives on the battlefields of Europe. Come and learn their story!

Review of the gear of an 11th Battalion soldier

Canada Department of National Defence Soldiers from the 11th Battalion were reviewing their equipment when this photograph was taken at Valcartier in 1914. When World War I broke out, Valcartier was the main base for military training in Canada. Valcartier is located just outside Québec City. The Québec City area was once again a strategic location in war!
Chronoscope What comments does this image evoke for you? (unilingual French for a limited time) Source: Library and Archives Canada Document in the public domain (free of copyright) - Library and Archives Canada / Canada Department of National Defence