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Memorials in Canada
Canada's Memorials: History and Tributes.
A commemorative monument bears witness to past conflicts and pays tribute to the lives lost during the clashes. There are more than 6,000 in Canada. They help the population not to forget history on the one hand, and on the other hand to remember the role played by Canadian fighters. Four memorials are particularly important. Discover them in this article.
The most important memorials in Canada
Three monuments commemorate the Canadian soldiers lost during the various clashes of modern history. They are located in Ottawa in the country's capital in Ontario. Another is in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The answer
The Canadian War Memorial, or The Response, is a monument erected on Wellington Street in Ottawa. It represents the Canadian Armed Forces and everything they have done to maintain peace in Canada and around the world.
Following the First World War, the public is calling for the construction of a monument to commemorate those who served peace in Canada and who gave their lives to maintain it. A competition was then organized in 1925 to obtain sketches of the future monument. It was open to all architects and artists in the British Empire. It is the Englishman Vernon March who is selected by the jury, on the theme of “Canada's generous response”. His drawing represented soldiers under an arcade.
The monument is built by the artist and his family before being shipped to Canada. On site, a pedestal was installed and the final monument was erected in 1938 in Ottawa. Its inauguration would have to wait until the following year during the royal visit and it would be carried out by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The monument is then modified to include the dates of the Second World War, those of the Korean War, those of the South African War and finally those of the Afghan War.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was added in front of The Answer monument in May 2000. It was designed by Canadian artist Mary-Ann Liu. This monument is composed of a sarcophagus containing the body of an unidentified Canadian soldier who lost his life during the First World War. This grave was recovered near Vimy where many Canadian soldiers were deployed and lost their lives. The tomb of the Unknown Soldier has a stele engraved in English and French. The Remembrance Day ceremony takes place there every November 11.
The Peace Tower
This monument located on Parliament Hill in Ottawa was built in 1927. It is a clock tower located on the facade of the Parliament of Canada which replaces the old Victoria Tower. The latter was burned down at the same time as Parliament in 1916.
The Peace Tower is the fruit of the work of John A. Pearson and Jean-Omer Marchand. It contains the Chapel of Remembrance, a national shrine where everyone can come to pay homage to soldiers who died during wars. We also find the Books of Remembrance there. They list the names of all Canadian soldiers who lost their lives during their service since Confederation.
The Halifax Memorial
This monument is located in Port Pleasant Park in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is a cross erected on a massive support, built in 1969. It pays tribute to 3,257 Canadian naval forces and merchant ships who died during the two world wars. Their names are also inscribed on the monument.
This Memorial replaces another commemorative monument which was also located in Halifax, but which had deteriorated considerably over time.
Other Notable Canadian Memorials
Other major memorials have been erected elsewhere in the country and abroad.
The Clock Tower
Also called Sailors' Memorial Tower, the Clock Tower is located in Montreal, Quebec. It is located in the Old Port of Montreal on the Quai de l'Horloge. Built by Gillet & Johnston and inaugurated in 1922, it pays tribute to the merchant navy sailors who died during the First World War. In 1996, it became a federal heritage building.
Camp X Memorial
This monument is located on the shores of Lake Ontario in Intrepid Park, in Whitby, Ontario. It honors the men and women who studied at Camp X, a training school for spies at a British security and coordination center, during the Second World War.
This monument was erected in 1984 to celebrate the work and dedication of nearly 500 special agents trained and deployed in Europe.
The Coronation Park Memorial: Victory-Peace
This monument is located in Toronto, Ontario inside Coronation Park. It pays tribute to the soldiers who fought during the Second World War. It was erected in 1995, during the 50th anniversary of the commemoration of the Second World War. The Victory-Peace Monument is the work of John McEwan. It has the shape of an amphitheater on which a black-tinted cement panel is mounted. It has a disc in its center where you can read the inscription 1939 1945 PEACE as well as the word peace in several languages. Note that the monument was restored in 2018 and 2019, at the same time as several monuments of this type in the city of Toronto.
Most of the trees planted in this park are tributes to Canadian soldiers who participated in the battles of the First World War and previous wars. They are decorated with a commemorative plaque installed on a granite stone.
The Canadian Vimy Memorial
Did you know that a monument commemorates Canadian women in France? This is the Canadian Memorial which is located on Vimy Ridge, on the Chemin des Canadiens in Givenchy-en-Gohelle. It was erected in 1936.
It is the most majestic of the 8 commemorative monuments erected for this tribute in France and Belgium. It is made up of two imposing pillars representing France and Canada, as well as numerous statues. The latter notably represent Canada in mourning and another, the allegory of Peace.
Several tens of thousands of Canadian soldiers went to France to join the fighting during the First World War. Thousands of them lost their lives there.
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