The Canada Memorial in
Green Park
Green Park, officially The Green Park, is one of the Royal Parks of London. It is in the southern part – the core part – of the City of Westminster, Central London, but before that zone was extended to the north, to take in Marylebo ...
,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, commemorates members of the
Canadian Forces
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The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Forc ...
killed during the First and Second World Wars. It was designed by the Canadian sculptor
Pierre Granche
Pierre Granche (March 14, 1948 – September 30, 1997) was a French-Canadian sculptor. Having studied at the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal and the Université de Vincennes in Paris, he taught in the art history department of the Université d ...
, erected in 1992 and unveiled by Queen
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
in 1994. The memorial was the result of lobbying and fund raising, much of it in Canada, by the former Canadian media tycoon
Conrad Black.
History and description
Pierre Granche, one of Canada's foremost sculptors, won the commission as the result of a competition, sculpted the memorial from red
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...
; it is divided by a walkway into two distinct halves, representing Britain and Canada's joint participation in World Wars I and II. The inclined sculpture is inset with 506 bronze maple leaves (the Canadian emblem) and the country's coat of arms. Water flows across the sloping surface and creates an illusion of floating leaves. An inscription at the centre of the memorial reads:
"''In two world wars one million Canadians came to Britain and joined the fight for freedom. From danger shared, our friendship prospers.''"
From 2004, following a change in fortunes of the memorial's patron, Conrad Black, the memorial fell into disrepair and became subject to debate concerning its maintenance. In 2008, the Canadian Government assumed responsibility for the upkeep of the memorial: announcing "Our Government will ensure that the Canada Memorial in London, England, has the long-term care and upkeep it deserves as a lasting and fitting tribute to our nation's truest heroes." As of October 2011, the memorial was fenced off and not operational, despite £50,000 spent by
Veterans Affairs Canada
Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC; french: Anciens Combattants Canada) is the department within the Government of Canada with responsibility for pensions, benefits and services for war veterans, retired and still-serving members of the Canadian Arme ...
in renovations and upkeep. After refurbishment of corroded pipes and fittings, the memorial has now reopened.
Canada Memorial Foundation
At the same time as the Memorial was being built and unveiled, the same group of people behind it raised an endowment called the Canada Memorial Foundation. Since the early 1990s that endowment has been sending British students to do post-graduate studies at Canadian universities. It is managed by volunteer trustees and is completely separate from the Green Park Memorial. However, the Foundation shares similar aims of encouraging the connections and cooperation between Britain and Canada.
See also
*
Canada Gate
*
Canadian war memorials
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 wer ...
Notes
References
Veterans Affairs Canadaaccessed 28 October 2011.
Canada at Waraccessed 11 February 2010.
CBC Newsaccessed 2 February 2010.
accessed 11 February 2010.
Edwardian Londonaccessed 11 February 2010.
*Robinson, John Martin (1999). ''Buckingham Palace''. Published by The
Royal Collection, St. James's Palace, London .
The Royal Parks, St. James'saccessed 2 February 2010.
The Toronto StarArticle by Mitch Potter August 2007. accessed 11 February 2010.
Worcestershire County Councilaccessed 2 February 2010.
External links
Interactive map showing location of Canada Gate and the Canada Memorialaccessed 2 February 2010.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canada Gate And Canada Memorial
Canada–United Kingdom relations
Canada Memorial (London)
Military memorials in London
Tourist attractions in the City of Westminster
Buildings and structures in Green Park
World War I memorials in the United Kingdom
World War II memorials in the United Kingdom