The song of Vimy onstage at Lunchbox

The Battle of Vimy Ridge claimed more than 3,500 Canadian lives in April 1917, with over 7,000 more wounded. More than a century later, Calgary-raised artist Brendan McLeod is reviving those soldiers’ words, and their songs.

His production Ridge, on stage at Lunchbox Theatre from Nov. 5 to 16, reimagines how Canadians connect with wartime history. The show blends storytelling, live folk music, and lyrics once written and sung by soldiers in the trenches.

Performed by McLeod’s JUNO-nominated band The Fugitives, Ridge brings a deeply personal approach to remembrance, focusing not on generals or victories, but on the lived experience of young men far from home.

“Their songs gave us an incredible window into what happened to their spirits during war,” McLeod says. “There’s anger, despair, and a strong sense of connection through gallows humour.”

Raised in Calgary and now based in Ontario, McLeod says his interest in the First World War started early after reading about Vimy Ridge at the age of twelve.

“I wanted to collapse the distance between people that lived a hundred years ago and us,” he says. “How are we supposed to make sense of World War I in 2025?”

Ridge has toured to more than 30 theatres across Canada since 2022 and has been praised for its inventive use of soldier-written songs. The companion album, Trench Songs, earned The Fugitives a JUNO nomination in 2022.

The show arrives in Calgary just ahead of Remembrance Day, with special performances scheduled for Nov. 11 at noon and 7 p.m.

“Remembrance shouldn’t just be that one minute of silence,” McLeod says. “It should be part of how we think about what came before us and what it means to be citizens today.”

Tickets range from $21 to $35, with free admission for active or retired members of the Canadian military.

Ridge runs at Lunchbox Theatre in the Studio at Vertigo Theatre. For more information, visit LunchboxTheatre.com.