GD, this is embarrassing.
http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/...ridge-ceremony
"Shame shame on you!" Hundreds complain to Veterans Affairs about disorganized Vimy Ridge ceremony
Canadian visitors were stranded, injured and left sweltering in the sun with no water on April 9. They had to urinate on the grass for lack of toilets
“A total disaster.”
“Appalling.”
“A mosh pit and Woodstock combined.”
However, documents obtained through an access-to-information request showed how visitors who travelled all the way from Canada were stranded, injured and left sweltering in the sun with no water. They were forced to urinate on the grass for lack of toilets and finally penned in enclosures for two hours or more after dignitaries — including princes Charles, Harry and William and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — drove away past them.
The visitors’ letters — 397 pages of them — tell of heat exhaustion, thirst, full bladders and fear.
It added there was a real danger of trampling and there were two-hour waits for toilets.
And the visitors weren’t the only ones upset. Comments from 16 Canadian students working as Vimy guides showed they were all frustrated by the confusion as they tried to help visitors without help from Veterans Affairs. And they said plans were still not finalized by the day of the actual event.
“We were left responsible for thousands of people without support,” another said. “Being the only identifiable employees became almost dangerous as people yelled at us and threatened us.”
One guide said they were told afterward to stay positive, which made the guides feel their experience didn’t matter. A saying later developed among the staff: “We don’t talk about April 9th.”