Remembering Vimy: Time Bias vs Space Bias
The CBC video Why the Battle of Vimy Ridge Matters and the Government of Canada’s Vimy Memorial website both try to help Canadians remember the battle, but they do it in slightly different ways. Thinking about them using Harold Innis’s ideas about time bias and space bias actually makes this clearer.
The Vimy Memorial itself feels like a strong example of time-biased media. Innis described time-biased forms as things that preserve memory across long periods of time. A monument literally exists to keep history alive. The Vimy Memorial stands on the battlefield in France and honours over 11,000 Canadian soldiers with no known graves. Since it’s physical and permanent, it connects people directly to the past in a way that lasts across generations.
The CBC video, on the other hand, feels more space-biased. Innis argued that media like radio, newspapers, and modern digital media spread ideas across large distances. A video posted online can reach thousands of people quickly and shape how Canadians think about Vimy today. It helps circulate the story nationally, even for people who will never visit the memorial itself.
In that sense, remembering Vimy Ridge probably requires both kinds of media. The monument preserves memory over time, while videos and websites spread the meaning of that memory across space. It also makes me wonder whether the way we remember Vimy Ridge today is shaped more by the monument itself, or by the media that keep retelling its story
Hey Mya, great post!
ReplyDeleteI like your point that remembering Vimy probably depends on both kinds of media rather than just one. My post came to a similar conclusion, especially in the sense that both the CBC video and the website help preserve Vimy, but in different ways. I also found it interesting how the video does more than just spread information. It also makes viewers reflect on how Vimy’s meaning has changed over time, which adds another layer to how national memory gets shaped.