A living memorial, the groves of Coronation Park commemorate the service and sacrifice of Canada's military. The tree at the center of the circle, known as King's Oak, is the park's symbolic heart. Surrounding the King's Oak is a ring of maple trees representing the former British Empire's dominions and colonies. Trees in other groves commemorate Canada's military units, principally of the First World War.
The park's plan reflects a move away from elaborately planted Victorian gardens to stands of trees that would mature into a structured landscape in the decades to come. Symbols of life, Coronation Park's trees embody the spirit of idealism that emerged following the horrors of the First World War.
Designed by members of the Toronto chapter of Men of the Trees and the Toronto Ex-Servicemen's Coronation Committee, the park opened on the day of King George VI's coronation, May 12, 1937.
In 1939, granite stones were added to each tree to identify the military units.