On April 9, 1917, the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles - predecessor of the B.C. Dragoons - took part in the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
According to the Vimy Foundation, 3,598 Canadian soldiers were killed during the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
Clark said the battle came at a bad cost to Canadians with more than 10,000 soldiers killed and wounded in horrific conditions.
Many people in the crowd used umbrellas to guard against the hot sun - different from 100 years ago when soldiers here faced rain and sleet in battle.
Prince Charles - who was accompanied by his sons Prince William and Prince Harry - commended Canada for its sacrifice during the war. It is truly an honour to be here to recognize the more than 650,000 fearless Canadians who served in the First World War and commemorate our proud history.
"Vimy Ridge really brought Canada together as a country".
The attack on 9 April sparked four days of intense fighting, until Canadian and British forces retook the heights overlooking the Douai Plain, which was still occupied by the enemy.
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Exactly one century ago, Canadian troops captured the heavily fortified German positions along a four mile ridge - where past British and French attempts had failed.
Unburdened by a history of warfare, the Canadians looked at war differently and adopted new tactics such as the creeping barrage while entrusting the battleplan for the first time to even the lowliest privates.
When they left the ceremony with Mr Trudeau and the French president, William and Harry were mobbed by Canadians, youth groups, military veterans and relatives of Vimy Ridge troops. Today, we honour and remember the thousands of Canadians who gave their lives at Vimy Ridge.
The commemorative ceremony at Vimy is being billed as a chance to mark what has come to be regarded as a seminal moment in Canada's history.
"Sharon and I are honoured to join the tens of thousands of people attending the commemorations today at Vimy in France, while Canadians gather for memorials in communities large and small across the country".
It was neither decisive for the war's outcome "nor the most fundamental" of the battles fought by Canadians during the conflict, Boire said.
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