Gone, Never Forgotten: Honouring Canada’s Unknown Soldier

A nameless soldier, an unknown past, a timeless legacy. 

Twenty-five years ago, from a quiet grave near Vimy Ridge, an unidentified soldier from the First World War was chosen to represent the thousands of Canadians who never returned. The repatriation marked a moment of national unity, grief, and gratitude.

This initiative was originally proposed by Canada’s veterans, who believed that having an Unknown Soldier on Canadian soil was important not only for memorialization, but to help new generations better understand the causes and consequences of war. With support from the Royal Canadian Legion, Veterans Affairs Canada, the Department of National Defence, and others, Canada’s Unknown Soldier was brought home.

The journey began in France, where a Canadian delegation exhumed the soldier from the Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery. He was one of 1,603 unknown Canadians buried nearby. His selection was random, yet deeply symbolic—Vimy Ridge was the first time all four divisions of the Canadian Corps fought together.

On May 25, 2000, the soldier arrived in Ottawa. For three days, he lay in state in the Hall of Honour on Parliament Hill, and on May 28, 2000, Canada’s Unknown Soldier was laid to rest at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.

Today, the Tomb of Canada’s Unknown Soldier is a place where generations gather to pay their respect, to not just one, but to all who serve and sacrifice for their country. It is a reminder that freedom has a cost, and that remembrance is a duty.

To honour this legacy, the Royal Canadian Mint has released the Honouring Canada’s Unknown Soldier $2 circulation coin. A powerful tribute, it’s a reminder in your pocket, a symbol in your change, of the courage that built this country, and those who continue to serve it.

Look for the commemorative coin in your change. Carry it with pride. And remember the one who stands for the many.