When it comes to peacekeeping, Peterborough has a connection with Lester B. Pearson, the first Canadian to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for his pioneering vision in helping establish a United Nations force during the Suez Crisis of the 1950s. Pearson lived in Peterborough as a youth where he attended Peterborough Collegiate Vocational School.
The UN Peacekeepers Monument Project was developed in partnership between the City of Peterborough and the Frank Poley (Peterborough) chapter of the Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations Peacekeeping to commemorate the sacrifices of 132 Canadian peacekeepers and two diplomats who gave their lives in the service of peace. In 2017, Toronto’s Studio F Minus' design was selected from a nation-wide call for proposals to design the monument.
The monument consists of two 14-foot mirrored pillars with a blue square embedded at the top of each. This creates a hall of mirrors effect when an observer stands between them. Peacekeepers have to cross invisible borders. The blue square turns into a dotted line and dotted lines on maps represent borders between countries, so you are actually crossing a border as you come through. The blue dotted line appears to float in the air.
Inscribed on the monument is a quote from William Steedman, former case manager of the Peterborough Constituency Office and a long-time advocate for Veterans who worked on the memorial project for 14 years. UN Peacekeepers Monument was unveiled on 1 July 2022.
