Blog Post 3 - Nicholas Sherrer

The Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917 is often presented as a defining moment in Canadian history and national identity. Today many Canadians including myself, encounter this event not through direct experience, but through media artifacts such as the CBC video “Why the Battle of Vimy Ridge Matters” and the Government of Canada webpage dedicated to the Canadian National Vimy Ridge Memorial in France. To analyze how these artifacts shape our understanding of the battle, it is useful to apply Harold Innis’ concept of the bias of communication, particularly his distinction between time-biased and space-biased media. As Innis was a veteran and wounded in the war he used his time and knowledge to create and formulate many of his arguments presented after the war.

According to Innis, different communication media shape how societies transmit knowledge across time and space. Time-biased media are durable and designed to preserve knowledge and cultural memory across generations. These media are often heavy and difficult to transport examples include stone monuments, oral traditions, and other long-lasting forms of record. Because they endure, they emphasize tradition and the preservation of the past. Space-biased  media in contrast, are lightweight and easily distributed across large distances. Forms such as newspapers, broadcasting, and digital media allow information to travel quickly to wide audiences. These media prioritize reach and immediacy rather than long-term durability.

The CBC video “Why the Battle of Vimy Ridge Matters” is primarily an example of space-biased communication. As a digital broadcast distributed through platforms like YouTube, the video can reach a wide audience quickly across Canada and beyond. This accessibility allows people who may never visit the battlefield in France to learn about the event and its significance and now without ever being in the country of France I know now exactly what the monument looks like and much of its significance. The video also demonstrates how space-biased media shape historical narratives. It explains the events of April 1917, when Canadian forces captured Vimy Ridge after several days of fighting, and discusses how the meaning of the battle has changed over time. The battle has often been described as the “birth of a nation" according to the video and it is symbolizing Canadian unity and achievement during the First World War. However, the video also acknowledges that this interpretation has been debated, especially considering divisions within Canada at the time, such as those surrounding the conscription crisis. By circulating these interpretations widely, the CBC video helps shape how Canadians collectively remember the battle. It keeps the story of Vimy Ridge present in national consciousness, demonstrating how space-biased media can influence how historical events are interpreted in the present. The video is a space biased communication form but is used in a time biased way with the content and message they give throughout.

In contrast, the Canadian National Vimy Memorial represents a strongly time-biased form of communication. The monument itself is a massive stone structure designed to endure for generations and preserve the memory of Canadian soldiers who fought and died during the First World War. Monuments like this reflect Innis’ idea that time-biased media prioritize durability and the preservation of cultural memory. The memorial commemorates Canadians who served in the war and specifically honours more than 11,000 soldiers whose bodies were never recovered or identified in France. By inscribing their names in stone, the monument preserves their memory across time and creates a physical site where visitors can reflect on the past. However, the Government of Canada website that describes the memorial introduces a space-biased element. By presenting information online, the website makes knowledge about the monument accessible to people across Canada and around the world. In this sense, the site connects the time-biased monument to a space-biased digital network, allowing remembrance to extend beyond the physical location of the memorial.

Together, these artifacts illustrate a combination of time- and space-biased communication. The CBC video spreads information quickly across large audiences, demonstrating the strengths of space-biased media. The Vimy Ridge Memorial preserves historical memory across generations, exemplifying time bias. Meanwhile, the government website bridges the two by using digital communication to connect Canadians to a permanent monument located overseas. This combination reflects Innis's broader argument that societies benefit from balancing these communication biases. Space-biased media allow historical knowledge to circulate widely, while time-biased media anchor that knowledge in enduring cultural memory. I think this example is so powerful and amazing at showcasing why the two in harmon y can act as a powerful and long lasting way to give everyone now a sense of what happened and connect to the moment in Canadian history.

These artifacts do help Canadians understand the past in ways that shape the present and future. By circulating stories about Vimy Ridge and maintaining a lasting monument to the fallen soldiers, they contribute to a shared national narrative about sacrifice, unity, and the development of Canadian identity. At the same time, modern media also encourage reflection and debate about how the battle has been interpreted historically. In this way, the CBC video and the Vimy Ridge Memorial website demonstrate how communication media influence collective memory and I feel personally moved after watching and making my own understanding of this assignment. They show that remembering the past is not simply about preserving facts, but about how different media forms shape the stories that societies tell about themselves.