Sunday 25 September 2022

St. Catharines

 

Location:  Niagara Region     N 43.15430   W -79.24620

In Memorial Park, 6 St. Paul Street W.

 

The following description is taken from www.veterans.gc.ca.

"In 1924 St. Catharines formed a committee and began collecting funds for a war memorial through public donation. People entered St. Catharines by way of the Burgoyne Bridge, so the land adjacent to the bridge was chosen as home to Memorial Park and the cenotaph. The location was fitting since the Merritt House, also known as Oak Hill, was located nearby. It had previously been used as a Military Convalescent home for wounded First World War soldiers. 

McIntosh Marble and Granite Company of Toronto was hired to create the cenotaph. It is comprised of a large column constructed out of brick and granite, mounted atop a concrete plinth, set on terrace level steps. At the top, front of the column is the St. Catharines crest and on the reverse side is a maple leaf. A Crusader’s sword runs down the front of the column, symbolizing struggle and represents the cross of Christ. The sword is placed above discarded soldier’s equipment, which includes a canteen, pack and helmet, signifying items the soldier no longer needs and the end of a struggle.

A scroll-like ornamentation is at the base of the column. A furled flag and maple leaf grace each side of the cenotaph, and the symbols of the different units that fought in the Great War are found encircling the structure. On the bottom plinth are two carved crosses. Originally there was a large reflecting pool at terrace level in front of the cenotaph, but it was removed in late 1930. 

It was unveiled at a grand ceremony held on August 7, 1927, by Brigadier General W.B.M King, who commanded the 10th Brigade of the third Canadian Field Artillery Battery during the struggle for St. Julien at the second battle of Ypres in 1915. Morning church services were held at 10 am instead of the usual 11 am and were followed by a Lincoln Regiment parade. The march began at the armories and ended at Memorial Park where the regiment (under command of Capt. Fred Collins) lined up as an honour guard for Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), who attended to perform the wreath laying ceremony. The Prince had been accompanied by a royal party which included: Prince George, British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, and the Right Honourable Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada.

Masses of people gathered, lining the streets and sidewalks. War Veterans and family members of fallen soldiers were given a special section to observe the ceremony. W.B.M. King, Commander of the St. Catharines unit first under fire in 1915, was given the honour of unveiling the cenotaph by pulling a cord to release the large Union Jack flag.

Inscriptions recognizing the Second World War, Korean War, Peacekeeping (2006) and the Merchant Navy were added later. In July 2009 a heritage conservator hired by the City of St. Catharines revealed that the St. Catharines Cenotaph was in need of significant restoration. In the fall of 2012, a team was hired to remove its top to review the interior condition. It was a solid core, concrete with very little wear, which meant what looked like slightly shifted granite blocks were in fact, intact. Those granite blocks have been slightly out of plumb since the original build of the cenotaph in the 1920s.

The masonry work required was completed in time for Remembrance Day Ceremonies in 2012. In 2013, the final repointing was done on the cenotaph stairs, as part of the accessibility work and the landscaping completed. The costs to repair the St. Catharines Cenotaph were significant, but community support assisted in offsetting the costs to taxpayers."

 


Marker text:

Front:

THE MEN WERE VERY

GOOD UNTO US AND

WE WERE NOT HURT

THEY WERE A WALL

UNTO US BOTH

BY NIGHT

AND DAY


IN MEMORIAM

REQUIESCANT IN PACE


1939 - WORLD WAR II - 1945     1914 - WORLD WAR I - 1918     1950 - KOREA - 1953

UNITED NATIONS     PEACEKEEPERS     CANADIAN MERCHANT NAVY

2001 - AFGHANISTAN - 2011

 



Right side:

PASSCHENDAELE
AMIENS
ARRAS
SOMME
VIMY
1914-1918

 

 

 

 

Left side:

ST. JULIEN
2ND BATTLE OF YPRES
FESTUBERT
CAMBRAI
MONS
1914-1918

 

 

 

 

Back:

THIS CENOTAPH WAS DEDICATED ON

AUGUST 7TH A.D.  1927

AND THE FIRST WREATH PLACED HEREON BY

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS

EDWARD PRINCE OF WALES

AFTER THE CENOTAPH HAD BEEN UNVEILED BY

BRIGADIER GENERAL W.B.M. KING  C.M.G.  D.S.O.

 


















Tuesday 20 September 2022

Toronto - Canadian Airmen Memorial

 

Location: City of Toronto     N 43.65478   W -79.38825

In the median on University Avenue at Queen Street.

 

This tall memorial is dedicated to Canadian Airmen and was donated by Henry R. Jackman and the Jackman Foundation.   It was dedicated by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1984.  The bronze and marble monument was designed by Oscar Nemon.  It lists the names of Canadian airmen who were awarded the Victoria Cross for their bravery in the skies.

 

Marker text:

Front:

PER ARDUA AD ASTRA


IN MEMORY OF OUR CANADIAN 

AIRMEN WHO FOUGHT IN THE

SKIES TO PRESERVE FREEDOM

AND ORDER IN THE WORLD

 


Side:

THIS MONUMENT WAS DONATED

TO THE MUNICIPALITY OF

METROPOLITAN TORONTO BY

HENRY R. JACKMAN  O.C., K.ST.J., Q.C.

AND THE JACKMAN FOUNDATION


OSCAR NEMON    SCULPTOR

PARKIN PARTNERSHIP     ARCHITECTS

 


Side:

CANADIAN AIRMEN AWARDED THE VICTORIA CROSS


WORLD WAR I

WILLIAM AVERY BISHOP

ALAN ARNETT McLEOD

WILLIAM GEORGE BARKER

 

WORLD WAR II

ANDREW CHARLES MYNARSKI

DAVID ERNEST HORNELL

IAN WILLOUGHBY BAZALGETTE

ROBERT HAMPTON GRAY

 

 

Back:

THIS MONUMENT WAS DEDICATED BY

HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II

SEPTEMBER 29, 1984