The history of a memorial at this site dates back to Easter Day, 1924, when the community of Manor and Highland Park erected a large oak cross in honor of those Canadians who died in "the war to end all wars." On May 31, 1925, more than 3,000 people assembled in the park to replace the cross with a marble statue of a First World War infantryman.
The 59-year-old marble statue was destroyed by vandals and the community rallied, raising about $20,000 in a few weeks, enough money to erect a bronze memorial to replace it. On November 2, 1985 a rededication for the memorial included a parade by active military and veterans' groups, an unveiling of the sculpture and a ceremony led by Rt. Reverend Derwyn Jones, bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Huron.
The bronze statue is a replica of an original memorial by Windsor sculptor Blaize Bezaire, recast from wax models. Two plaques have been added to the site in recollection of sacrifices made by soldiers in the Second World War and the Korean War.
