A Comox Valley teen’s commitment, interest and dedication to remembrance and Canada’s history allowed her to spend time overseas studying the country’s contributions to the First World War.
Grade 12 Highland Secondary Student Danielle Bilozaze-Lewis was one of 20 students across Canada between the ages of 14-17 to be chosen for the Vimy Pilgrimage Award - an award through The Vimy Foundation to recognize the actions of young people who are dedicated to the betterment of society.
Bilozaze-Lewis and her cohort spent a week in Belgium and France to study Canada’s impact on the war, within the context of a global conflict.
“I absolutely love history, and when I first heard of the opportunity, I thought it was almost unreal,” she explains and added that part of the application process was research and an essay, which she wrote about Pte. Mike Foxhead.
Foxhead was born on the Blackfoot Reserve in Alta. in 1898, and was killed in action at age 20. He was buried at the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, Belgium.
Bilozaze-Lewis, who is Dene, notes Foxhead was born in the area of the province where many Dene live, which is one of the reasons why she chose to research him for her application assignment.
Following her acceptance to the program in January 2024, she completed readings, projects and assignments through an online platform in preparation for the trip, which took place April 3 to 10.
Once in Europe, the program featured daily visits to important First World War sites including museums, cemeteries and historic battlefields.
Bilozaze-Lewis, who said it was her first time in Europe, reflected on some of the highlights including the Flanders Fields Museum and being one of four recipients to lay a wreath at the Menin Gate Cemetery.
Since returning from her trip, she says she has a tremendous amount of information to share on both her personal experience and Canada’s contributions to the war.
“I really appreciated when visiting the memorials there is an emphasis on commemorating and celebrating Canadian’s contributions - not glorifying or promoting war. That was my biggest takeaway.”
Alumni from the Vimy Pilgrimage Award go on to share their knowledge and perspectives on the war with their peers, schools and communities. They become ambassadors for the Vimy Foundation and continue to interact with their peers.