Canada Memorial in Green Park

Note: Please be advised that the water feature may not be fully functional at all times due to maintenance of the Memorial.

Designed by Canadian sculptor Pierre Granche and unveiled by Her Majesty The Queen in 1994, the Canada Memorial pays tribute to the nearly one million Canadian and Newfoundland men and women who served in the United Kingdom during the First and Second World Wars. In particular, it honours the more than 100,000 brave Canadians and Newfoundlanders who paid the ultimate sacrifice for peace and freedom.

The monument is located across from Buckingham Palace in Green Park, one of the Royal Parks of London, England. It is made of red granite from the Canadian Shield with inset bronze maple leaves arranged in a windswept pattern. The polished granite is set at an incline and a shimmer of water flowing over it creates the impression of maple leaves floating down a stream.

The monument is divided into two sections representing Canadian and British participation in the two World Wars. At the centre is a narrow walkway. At the east end of the walkway is a circular bronze casting which reads:

In two world wars one million Canadians came to Britain and joined the fight for freedom. From danger shared, our friendship prospers.

Also contained in the bronze casting is a compass rose that orients the sculpture toward Halifax, Nova Scotia, the port from which most Canadians left for active service. In the hollow area between the bronze casting and the monument is a set of stairs so that passers-by can sit and reflect.

The Artist

In the summer of 1992 the Canada Memorial Foundation invited Canadian artists to participate in a competition to design a memorial to the memory of Canadian participation in the two World Wars. The design of Québec artist, Pierre Granche, was chosen out of a total of 33 entries. The late Mr. Granche was well known as a sculptor for integrating his works with architecture and the environment. What is interesting about Pierre Granche's work is the discreet quality of its form, its harmony with the setting in London's Green Park, and its evocative power.

Directions

Green Park is located in Westminster, very close to Buckingham Palace and the Queen Victoria Memorial. It is on the North West side of the Palace, more specifically the Canada Gate which is along Constitution Hill. The Canada Memorial is approximately 50 metres past the Canada Gate, inside the Park.

If you visit London by Underground (TUBE):

Piccadilly, Jubilee and Victoria lines all stop at Green Park TUBE Station which is located at the North end of Green Park. At that stop you can walk across the park to the Memorial, which is at the south end of the Park (near Canada Gate and Buckingham Palace).