Location: City of Toronto N 43.64263 W -79.40020
In Victoria Memorial Square, 10 Niagara Street.
The following is taken from a historic plaque erected near the memorial:
"Long overlooked among Toronto's public monuments, the memorial
in the centre of this park honours those who died defending Upper
Canada (now Ontario) against the Americans during the War of
1812. The monument was first proposed in 1888 by the Army and
Navy Veterans Association, but waited almost 20 years for its
completion. The monument's pedestal, completed in 1902, was
crowned with the bronze bust in 1907.
The monument is the combined work of one of Canada's leading
early-20th-century architects, Frank Darling, and one of its most
important monument designers and sculptors, Walter Seymour
Allward. Darling designed its granite pedestal, the excavation for
which uncovered four coffins. The commission for the bronze bust of
the "Old Soldier" was given to the young Allward, best known for his
later masterpiece, Canada's war memorial at Vimy Ridge, France.
In 1907, The Globe newspaper gave the bust of the "Old Soldier" high
praise for reflecting both "the indomitable courage of a fine British
type" and "the poignant pathos of the aged and broken veteran."
"The Old Soldier, War of 1812 Memorial was erected by the British Army and Navy Veterans' Association. It was erected to honour the dead of the War of 1812, on the site of an old burial ground used between 1794 and 1863 for soldiers and their families from nearby Fort York.
The memorial’s cornerstone was laid on July 1, 1902. The cornerstone featured a time capsule, including newspapers, coins, and other documents of the day. Veterans of several wars were on hand for the ceremony, including those who had served in the Crimean War, Second Opium War, Indian Rebellion of 1857, Second Anglo-Aghan War, Fenian Raids, North-West Rebellion, and the South African War. The official unveiling was on July 5, 1907, after nearly 20 years of planning and fundraising.
The memorial was designed and constructed by Walter Seymour Allward. He designed a bronze half-length figure of an old one-armed soldier in uniform of 1812, holding his military cap, the George IV medal on his chest and the end of one empty sleeve pinned up."
https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/national-inventory-canadian-memorials/details/5520
Marker text:
Front:
"DEAD IN THE BATTLE - DEAD ONT HE FIELD;
MORE THAN A LIFE CAN A SOLDIER YIELD?
HIS BLOOD HAS BURNISHED HIS SABRE BRIGHT;
TO HIS MEMORY, HONOR: TO HIM GOOD NIGHT."
THIS MONUMENT IS TO PERPETUATE
THE MEMORY AND DEEDS OF THE OFFI-
CERS, NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND
MEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE DE-
FENCE OF CANADA IN THE WAR OF 1812-1815,
AND IS ERECTED BY THE BRITISH ARMY
AND NAVY VETERANS RESIDING IN TORON-
TO, AIDED BY GENEROUS SUBSCRIPTIONS
FROM THE BRITISH ARMY AND NAVY, AND
THE CITIZENS OF CANADA.
JULY 1ST, 1902.
BATTLE-FIELDS
RIVER CANARD CHRYSLER'S FARM FORT GEORGE
BEAVER DAMS DETROIT LUNDY'S LANE
BLACK ROCK FORT NIAGARA THAMES
CHATEAUGUAY FORT ERIE STONY CREEK
YORK
Right side:
IN MEMORY OF OFFICERS, NON-COM
MISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN WHO
DIED WHILE STATIONED WITH THEIR
REGIMENTS OR COMPANIES OF REGI-
MENTS OR BATTERIES OF ARTILLERY
AND CAVALRY AT YORK (TORONTO) DUR-
ING THE PERIOD THAT BRITISH TROOPS
WERE SERVING IN UPPER CANADA.
13TH HUSSARS 23RD REGIMENT 47TH REGIMENT
ROYAL ARTILLERY 24TH " 68TH "
MILITARY TRAIN 29TH " 71ST "
ROYAL ENGINEERS 30TH " 79TH "
1ST REGIMENT 32ND " 81ST "
6TH " 34TH " 83RD "
8TH " 40TH " 85TH "
15TH " 41ST " 89TH "
16TH " 42ND " 93RD "
17TH " 43RD " RIFLE BRIGADE
ROYAL VETERAN REGT. ROYAL CANADIAN RIFLES
" NAVAL ARTIFICERS YORK RANGERS MILITIA
" NEWFND'LD. REGT. GLENGARY FENCIBLES
INCORPORATED MILITIA
Rear:
IN MEMORY OF OFFICERS, NON-COM-
MISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN WHO
WERE KILLED, DIED OF WOUNDS AND DIS-
EASE, IN THE FOLLOWING REGIMENTS
OR COMPANIES OF REGIMENTS ENGAGED
DURING THE WAR OF 1812-1815 UPON THE
WESTERN CANADIAN FRONTIER, WEST OF
KINGSTON
ROYAL ARTILLERY ROYAL ENGINEERS
19TH DRAGOONS 41ST REGIMENT 100TH REGIMENT
1ST REGIMENT 49TH " 103RD "
6TH " 82ND " 104TH "
8TH " 89TH "
ROYAL VETERAN REGT. SIMCOE MILITIA
" NEWFOUNDLD REGT. GLENGARY FENCIBLES "
PROV. DRAGOONS MILITIA YORK RANGERS "
WATTSVILLE REGT. " 1ST MORFOLK "
CANADIAN FENCIBLES " COLOURED CORPS & INDIANS
Left side:
DEFENCE OF YORK,
NOW TORONTO.
IN MEMORY OF OFFICERS, NON-COM-
MISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN WHO
WERE KILLED OR DIED OF WOUNDS IN
THE FOLLOWING REGIMENTS OR COM-
PANIES OF REGIMENTS ENGAGED IN THE
DEFENCE OF YORK (TORONTO).
APRIL 27TH 1813.
ROYAL ARTILLERY
ROYAL NAVAL ARTIFICES
8th REGIMENT (OF FOOT)
ROYAL NEWFOUNDLAND REGIMENT
GLENGARY FENCIBLES MILITIA
INCORPORATED MILITIA
