Training to be a Guide

I’m in Arras, France and I have finally completed my training to become a guide for Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) at their two international memorial sites, Canadian National Vimy Memorial and Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial. Training took nearly two weeks with half of focused on historical training and the other operations and site management. 

The first day, we discovered the sites as guests; listening to the different guided tours and exploring the nearly 325 acres of preserved battlefield. These two sites consist of 86% of the preserved battlefield from the Great War! Vimy also has 100 meters of tunnel open to visitors when accompanied by a guide. Both sites are beautiful and fill me with pride. The grass covered craters and trenches look serene as the morning mist sweeps over them. Furthermore, the monuments are eye-catching and incredibly moving. 

The next four days consisted of historical training led by two Canadian historians who are very knowledgeable on the subjects. We started with a very broad overview of the Great War which felt like the most intense history lecture of my life! Then we focused on the battles that occurred near or in relation to the Canadian sites focusing on the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and the Battle of Arras in 1917. Not only did we discuss it in class, but we were fortunate enough to travel to around and explore the terrain the soldiers would have crossed. In both battles, topography played a huge part and it is key to understanding why there was a battle in that area and why it transpired the way it did. Through these lessons, I gained a greater understanding of the Great War and therefore, I can now provide interpretation to the visitors of the sites. 

Training is mentally exhausting because there is so much to absorb in such a small amount of time! My weekend was mostly spent recuperating and preparing for the next week of work which means doing laundry, meal prepping and shopping for the essentials I left behind. We need to be ready to start training at 8:45 and therefore, we leave the residence where the guides live between 7:50 and 8. After work on Tuesdays and Sundays, we go to the grocery store before driving to the university residence where the guides live. So, when we leave in the morning it’s dark and by the time, we return which is between 18h00 and 19h00, it’s dark once more. When I get back to my room, I barely have the energy to make dinner and I often fall asleep within 3 hours of returning from work. It leaves little time to communicate with people back home who are 6 hours ahead. Despite the intensity, I am so incredibly grateful to be here and to receive this training.

The next three workdays are focused on learning hope to open and close up the sites, learning emergency procedures, and preparing our guided tours. It’s a lot to learn in just three days and I know for a fact that I’m going to forget something but luckily there are three return guides who have previously worked at the sites and they are always willing to help us. I’m still practicing my guided tours and I often have a hard time remembering the important numbers like the depth of the trenches and the casualties. Hopefully, it will become easier with time. 

Tomorrow is my first day of work and the sites are opening for another season. Wish me luck!