The Rotary Club of Ottawa By-town is part of the “Vimy Oaks” project. A tree was planted on June 1, 2018 on the lawn of Inmaculata High School, located on 140 Main St, Ottawa. The objective of this project is to bring twenty-four Vimy oaks, to the city of Ottawa by local Rotary Clubs and plant them on the lawns of Ottawa High Schools. This will provide an education opportunity to youngsters to learn about the history behind the tree and remember the soldiers from the First World War.

 

The trees are descended from acorns gathered by Lieut. Leslie Miller, who fought at Vimy Ridge. He found them in a half-buried oak tree on a nearly obliterated landscape after the battle was over in 1917. Those acorns were later planted by him on farmland in Scarborough, ON, in his farm later called Vimy Oaks Farm.

 

In January 2015, the process began with professional arborists taking cuttings from the crowns of the oaks to be grafted onto base root stock. The Rotary Clubs in Ottawa are bringing these saplings for planting to commemorate the Battle of Vimy Ridge and support the Vimy Foundation and ongoing educational programs.