The site where thousands of Canadian soldiers trained to fight in the First World War will have its history marked with an official plaque unveiling Sunday.
Camp Hughes near Carberry, Man. served as the training ground for more than 38,000 soldiers, at one time becoming the second-largest city in the province.
Soldiers received realistic training for the battleground in Europe. It’s one of the few places in the world, and the only place in North America, where trenches from the period remain.
The troops who trained at Camp Hughes would prove essential in battles in France and Flanders, including the victory at Vimy Ridge.
The site was named Camp Hughes in 1916 in honour of Canada’s then-Minister of Militia and Defence, Maj.-Gen. Sam Hughes.
On Sunday, Liberal MP Doug Eyolfson will unveil a commemorative plaque unveiling to mark the sites historical significance. Historians in period uniforms will discuss the history of the site, and attendees will “go over the top” in a simulated trench attack.
It is already designated a Provincial Heritage Site and a National Historic Site of Canada.
