Canadian war memorials are buildings, monuments, and statues that commemorate the armed actions in the territory encompassing modern Canada, the role of the Canadian military in conflicts and peacekeeping operations, and Canadians who died or were injured in a war. Much of this military history of Canada is commemorated today with memorials across the country and around the world. Canadian memorials commemorate the sacrifices made as early as the Seven Years' War to the modern day war on terror. As Newfoundland was a British Dominion until joining Confederation in 1949, there are several monuments in Newfoundland and Labrador and abroad which were dedicated to Newfoundland servicemen and women.
There are currently over 6,000 war memorials in Canada registered with the National Inventory of Military Memorials, which is under the Canadian Department of Veterans Affairs. There are also war memorials across the world, some of which are operated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which are dedicated to Canada as well as the Commonwealth members. There currently are 17 in France, six in Belgium, four in the United Kingdom, two in Afghanistan and South Korea, and one each in Egypt, Hong Kong, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Singapore, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
There are few examples of memorial art created by Indigenous peoples before the late nineteenth century. One of the best-preserved memorials is in Áísínai’pi, or Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, in southern Alberta. This UNESCO World Heritage Site houses an extensive series of small-scale petroglyphs incised on the sandstone bluffs of the Milk River, a number of them dating to thousands of years ago.
War memorials in Canada
Colonial period There exists a number of memorials commemorating events that occurred prior to Canadian Confederation in 1867. In addition to pre-Confederation war memorials, a number of communities in Ontario also have cannons originating from the Crimean War. However, these cannons are war trophies gifted to various communities in Upper Canada after the conflict; and do not serve as a memorial. Prior to the twentieth century, Canadian memorials were dedicated to great leaders and victories, not the named deaths of ordinary service personnel.
Memorial name Image Location Map NotesBattle Hill MonumentSouthwest Middlesex, OntarioCommemorates the Battle of Longwoods, fought during the War of 1812.Battle of Cook's Mill MonumentCooks Mill, OntarioCommemorates the Battle of Cook's Mill, fought during the War of 1812.Battle of Crysler's Farm MonumentMorrisburg, OntarioDedicated to those who fought and died in the victory at Crysler's Farm.Battle of Eccles Hill MonumentFrelighsburg, QuebecCommemorates the Battle of Eccles Hill, fought during the Fenian raids.Battle of Lundy's Lane MonumentNiagara Falls, OntarioDedicated in 1895, the monument commemorates members of the British Army and Canadian militia during the Battle of Lundy's Lane.Battle of Trois-Rivières MonumentTrois-Rivières, QuebecCommemorates the British and Canadian soldiers who fought at the Battle of Trois-Rivières during the American Revolutionary War.British Empire Loyalist CairnRegina, SaskatchewanDedicated to American settlers and the United Empire Loyalists who sided with the British during the American Revolutionary War.Brock's MonumentQueenston, OntarioDedicated to Major General Isaac Brock, one of Canada's heroes of the War of 1812.Canadian Volunteer MonumentToronto, OntarioHonours University of Toronto student volunteers who fell during the Battle of Ridgeway Lime Ridge, or died of wounds received in action or from disease contracted in service while defending her frontier in June 1866.Defence of York MonumentToronto, OntarioIn memory of officers, non-commissioned officers and men who were killed or died of wounds defending York (present-day Toronto).James Wolfe MonumentQuebec City, QuebecDedicated to General James Wolfe, remembered chiefly for his victory over the French, and establishing British rule in Canada.Liverpool Memorial CairnLiverpool, Nova ScotiaHighlights the role of privateers from the area during the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Monument aux BravesQuebec City, QuebecCommemorates the Battle of Sainte-Foy, fought during the Seven Years' War.Peace ArchSurrey, British Columbia49°0′7.66″N 122°45′23.49″WMonument commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812. Situated on the Canada–United States border, the Arch lies between the communities of Surrey, British Columbia, and Blaine Washington.Royal Navy and Provincial Marine MemorialKingston, OntarioDedicated to the officers and seamen of the Royal Navy and the Provincial Marine who served in Lake Ontario during the War of 1812.Stoney Creek Battlefield MemorialHamilton, OntarioCommemorates the victory at the Battle of Stoney Creek, fought during the War of 1812.Sebastopol MonumentHalifax, Nova ScotiaForth oldest war monument in Canada and the only Crimean War monument in North America.United Empire Loyalist Memorial Tusket, Nova ScotiaDedicated to the United Empire Loyalists who settled the area during, or after the American Revolutionary War. Wolfe and Montcalm ObeliskQuebec City, QuebecOldest war monument in Canada. Commemorates Louis-Joseph de Montcalm and James Wolfe, the French and British commanders of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham during the Seven Years War.War of 1812 Monument, OttawaOttawa, OntarioMonument commemorating diverse contributions to the defence of Canada during the War of 1812War of 1812 Monument, TorontoToronto, OntarioCommemorates the successful defence of British North America against American forces in the War of 1812
North-West Rebellion and the Boer War
Memorial name Image Location Map NotesBoer War MemorialMontreal, QuebecSculpted by George W. HillBoer War Memorial FountainHalifax, Nova ScotiaCommemorate Canadian combatants during the Second Boer War. Located in the Halifax Public GardensBoer War MonumentWindsor, OntarioUnveiled in 1906, the memorial was originally situated next to a post office, and later moved to Jackson Park in 1932.Central Memorial ParkCalgary, AlbertaThe park has a cenotaph, a statue of a First World War soldier and a statue of R.L. Boyle, which is dedicated to all Albertans who served during the Second Boer War.North-West Rebellion MonumentToronto, OntarioDedicated to those who served with the Canadian army during the North-West Rebellion.South African War MemorialHalifax, Nova ScotiaCreated by Hamilton MacCarthy South African War Memorial London, Ontario Commemorates those from Middlesex County, Ontario who served during the Second Boer War. Unveiled in 1912 by the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire; rededicated in 2000. South African War MemorialOttawa, OntarioLocated in Confederation Park it commemorates the Canadian participation in the Boer War.South African War MemorialQuebec City, QuebecSculpted by Hamilton MacCarthy.South African War MemorialToronto, OntarioCommemorates the Canadian participation in the Boer WarVolunteers MonumentWinnipeg, ManitobaCommemorates the members of the 90th Winnipeg Battalion of Rifles during the North-West Rebellion
First and Second World Wars The war memorial sculptors at work in Canada in the years following the First World War include: Emanuel Hahn, George W. Hill, Frank Norbury, Walter Allward, Hamilton MacCarthy, Coeur de Lion MacCarthy, Alfred Howell, Sydney March, Elizabeth Wyn Wood, Henri Hebert, J. Massey Rhind, Hubert Garnier, Nicholas Pirotton, Charles Adamson, Frances Loring, and Ivor Lewis.