In 2017, the Chairman of the 15th Battalion CEF Memorial Project made a proposal to Veteran’s Affairs Canada to have the Vimy cross return to Vimy for the 2017 Centenary of Vimy ridge and to be on display at the opening of the new Vimy Visitor Education Centre. (VEC)
48th Highlanders Regimental museum supported the proposal and authorized temporary loan of the cross for the Centenary year 2017-2018. VAC made arrangements for the archival packing and shipment of the cross to Vimy.
The project Chairman also approached CBC to determine if there was interest in the story of the cross and its return to France possibly as part of CBC’s coverage of the upcoming Centenary ceremony at Vimy. CBC approved of the proposal and assigned journalist Nala Aeyad to cover the journey of the cross from the museum in Toronto back to Vimy. The result was a moving documentary that aired on 8 April 2017.
Several relatives of 15th Battalion men whose names appear on the cross were located by the 15th Battalion Memorial Project and were on hand when the cross was packed for shipment at the Regimental Museum in St Andrews Presbyterian Church in February 2017.