Calgary artist crafts planter for historic oak headed to Vimy Ridge

A Calgary artist has crafted a commemorativeplanter for a 'Canadian cousin' of the mighty European oak tree,whichwill help to repopulate a Vimy Ridge forest devastated in the First World War.

Glenda Lenz says the cachepota decorative container for a potted plantwill be presented to dignitariesin an upcoming ceremony to honour the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers.

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"It is a presentation pot for [a sapling from] atree that was grafted in Ontario and is going to be repatriated to France to the Vimy Ridge memorial site," Lenz says.

The tree has quite a history.

"These trees were planted from acorns in France that a soldier back in the First World War brought home to his family farm," Lenz said.

"He planted them in the ground and eventually they grew and now they are in the middle of Scarborough, Ontario, in the Scarborough Chinese Baptist Church parking lot."

Six trees will be presented to dignitaries to honour the 100th anniversary of the battle at Vimy Ridge next year.

A total of 100 trees will be planted to begin the reforestation of VimyRidge with the original oak species that wasdestroyed during the First World War.

The $5-million plan also includes an education centre for Canada "so that people that go there will see what Canadians did, how they fought the war and of course the great sacrifice they made at Vimy Ridge," the porcelain artist said.

Lenz says there are five other artists across Canada that will create planters for the project and she was cautiously thrilled to be chosen from Calgary.

"I felt a little bit excited and maybe a little bit worried... could I do justice to this? It is a big subject, a very big subject," she said.

In her 42-year-long career, Lenz said thishas been the most gruelling piece she's had to create. Because she was painting on such a small surface area, she had to fire the porcelain every nighta total of 36 timesat temperatures as high as760 C to prevent the colours from smudging.

"But I felt honoured, very honoured, to be chosen."

Lenz's piece will be presented at the Crossfield Legion in Airdrie on March 19. From there, it will travel to Montreal and join the otherfive artists' creationsat a major porcelain conference in May.