montréal

1. 1868
   • Apr 7

     What was Canada’s first state funeral?

     Canada’s first state funeral took place in Ottawa following the assassination of the Honourable Thomas D’Arcy McGee on April 7, 1868. His death resonated deeply across the young nation, as McGee had been a central figure in promoting Canadian Confederation, religious freedom, and minority rights. The funeral procession in Montréal drew an astonishing 10,000 marchers and between 60,000 to 100,000 spectators—a display of national unity and public mourning unprecedented in Canadian history. Remarkably, 23 military units participated in the civilian’s funeral, underscoring the profound impact McGee had on shaping Canada’s early identity.

2. 1919
   • Oct 30

     What 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.

3. 1989
   • Nov 9

     Where in Canada are pieces of the Berlin Wall?

     Pieces of the historic Berlin Wall, which once separated East and West Berlin from 1961 until its fall in 1989, can be found at six locations across Canada, serving as powerful reminders of the country’s divided past and the widespread desire for freedom. These concrete segments, distributed to institutions and cities worldwide after the Wall’s dramatic demolition in 1989-1991, now stand as memorials at places like the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Montréal's Centre de Commerce Mondial, and Nova Scotia’s Lunenburg foundry. One particularly notable section arrived in Lunenburg thanks to the efforts of Lieutenant Governor J. James Kinley, who secured the artifact as a testament to the town’s German heritage after its UNESCO World Heritage designation in 1995. Today, more than 240 fragments of the Wall endure in over 140 countries, providing tangible links to a defining moment in 20th-century history.

April

7

1868What was Canada’s first state funeral?

Canada’s first state funeral took place in Ottawa following the assassination of the Honourable Thomas D’Arcy McGee on April 7, 1868. His death resonated deeply across the young nation, as McGee had been a central figure in promoting Canadian Confederation, religious freedom, and minority rights. The funeral procession in Montréal drew an astonishing 10,000 marchers and between 60,000 to 100,000 spectators—a display of national unity and public mourning unprecedented in Canadian history. Remarkably, 23 military units participated in the civilian’s funeral, underscoring the profound impact McGee had on shaping Canada’s early identity.

October

30

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.

November

9

1989Where in Canada are pieces of the Berlin Wall?

Pieces of the historic Berlin Wall, which once separated East and West Berlin from 1961 until its fall in 1989, can be found at six locations across Canada, serving as powerful reminders of the country’s divided past and the widespread desire for freedom. These concrete segments, distributed to institutions and cities worldwide after the Wall’s dramatic demolition in 1989-1991, now stand as memorials at places like the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Montréal's Centre de Commerce Mondial, and Nova Scotia’s Lunenburg foundry. One particularly notable section arrived in Lunenburg thanks to the efforts of Lieutenant Governor J. James Kinley, who secured the artifact as a testament to the town’s German heritage after its UNESCO World Heritage designation in 1995. Today, more than 240 fragments of the Wall endure in over 140 countries, providing tangible links to a defining moment in 20th-century history.