The Battle of Vimy Ridge has become one of Canada's most celebrated skirmishes of the First World War and a supposed "turning point for the Allies" that has been lauded as a nation-building moment for the country.
Prime Minster Justin Trudeau was among the dignitaries to speak at the ceremony at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in northern France.
A parade and wreath-laying ceremony in Williams Lake hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 139 commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge Sunday.
As part of its effort, CP also organized the first battalion of Canadian Overseas Railway Construction Corps (CORCC) to build and run railways through Europe during the war.
Trudeau said one of the 80,000 Canadians in the battle, 20-year-old William Bell, had written home on April 7, 1917 to praise the cake his family had sent to the trenches.
As for unity, there are those who say Vimy actually exacerbated divisions between English-Canada, which supported the war, and French-Canada, which opposed it, by pushing the country closer to conscription.
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"Their sacrifice must inspire us to do everything to avoid that senseless losses happen again", Charles said of the long-ago Canadians who lost their lives in France.
More than 200 people attended the B.C. Dragoons' tribute to the Battle of Vimy Ridge at the Vernon cenotaph. "Today, we remember them and all who serve".
"It shows us who supported us and who helped make Canada the way it is today", said Rachel Seguin, who came with her grandparents and her brother.
More than 15,000 Canadian soldiers stormed the 7 km long ridge, nearly 4,000 were killed and another 7,000 were wounded.
Delivering part of his address in French Charles added: "We honour those who served so gallantly, and who gave so much". Over 10,000 were killed or wounded for the hard-earned victory.
CORRECTION - April 9: An earlier version of this story mistakenly captioned a photo of Gov. Gen. David Johnston's wife, Sharon Johnston, as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
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