OTTAWA CITIZEN, by Bruce Deachman
After being closed for repairs and restoration since early April, the National War Memorial on Elgin Street was reopened to the public last Friday.
The project saw repairs made to damaged concrete slabs and paving around the monument, its bronze statues refurbished and preservation work on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This was the second phase of renovations, following a similar closure in 2014 during which workers repaired the concrete and reinforced steel in a crawl space underneath the monument.
The National War Memorial was the result of a 1925 international design competition that attracted 127 submissions, 66 of them from Canada. It was intended to honour those who served in the First World War. Approximately 650,000 Canadians served in that war, with 68,000 dying. The initial budget set for the monument was $100,000. Its final cost was $1.3 million. Prime Minister Mackenzie King, a strong proponent for the memorial, chose its site.
British sculptor Vernon March won the competition. The monument, also known as The Response, symbolizes Canadians’ willingness to serve not just Canada, but the Commonwealth. Passing through its arch are 22 figures, each one-third larger than life. They represent all the branches of the Canadian Forces, and are positioned in a hierarchical position, with a kilted infantryman with a machine-gun, and a Lewis gunner, leading the way. Behind them are a pilot; an air mechanic; a sailor; a mounted dispatch rider; a member of the Canadian Cavalry Brigade, also on horseback; a pair of infantry riflemen; two nurses; a stretcher bearer; an engineer; a member each of the Canadian Forestry Corps, the Canadian Army Service Corps, the Canadian Signals Corps, the Corps of Canadian Railway troops, the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, and the Motor Machine Gun Corps, and three additional infantrymen.
March began work in 1926. When he died in 1930, his six brothers and his sister, all artists, completed the work. When the figures were completed, in 1932, they were put on display in Hyde Park in London.
Construction of the monument was completed in October 1938, although the surrounding landscaping took another six months.
King George VI officially unveiled the War Memorial on May 21, 1939, just over 100 days before the start of the Second World War. A crowd of 100,000 people attended the ceremony, including 12,000 veterans.
In 1982, the Memorial was re-dedicated to include those who had served in the Second World War and the Korean War. It was dedicated again in 2014 to include veterans of the Second Boer War and the war in Afghanistan.
The National Remembrance Day Ceremony takes place at The National War Memorial beginning at 10:20am on Friday, November 11.
The National War Memorial is located at Confederation Square, Wellington Street, between the Château Laurier and Parliament Hill.