1919What is claimed to be the first Great War memorial erected within Canada?
The Monument aux braves de Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, located in the Montréal borough of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, holds the distinction of being claimed as the first public memorial erected in Canada to commemorate the Great War. Following the 1918 cease-fire, the community rallied to fund and complete this cenotaph in time for an unveiling by Edward, Prince of Wales, during his official visit in 1919. The monument’s striking features include a four-metre-high grey-granite column and a bronze bas-relief depicting soldiers marching past a cemetery, crafted by Swedish-American sculptor Peter David Estrom. Its unveiling on 30 October 1919 was witnessed by a large crowd, including blind veterans and children from the local school for the disabled, making the event especially poignant.
