Naval Memorial Monument
Municipality/Province: Burlington, ON
Memorial number: 35010-001
Type: Shaft, statue - bronze, wall
Address: Locust Street and Lakeshore Road
Location: Spencer Smith Park
GPS coordinates: Lat: 43.3234764 Long: -79.7963066
Submitted by: Alex Bramson; Martin Wallace; Terry MacDonald; Ronald Danks; Colonel Andre D. Gauthier (CF Ret'd); William N. Shields
Photo credit: Tim Laye, Ontario War Memorials
The Royal Canadian Naval Ships Memorial Monument built by public subscription, on land provided by the City of Burlington was unveiled on the 50th Anniversary of VE Day. The Royal Canadian Naval Association Burlington Branch, unveiled the Monument, May 14, 1995, with approximately 5,000 spectators, including over 1,000 veterans in attendance. The memorial is dedicated to the memory of the 31 warships and the 2024 Naval Personnel of the Royal Canadian Navy and the 75 ships and 1466 merchant seamen of the Canadian Merchant Navy who were lost during the Second World War.
The monument has three components. The main component is the memorial cairn listing on the front face the names of 31 war ships of the Royal Canadian Navy and the date they were lost. Also, shown is the lost 2024 Naval Personnel and 1466 Merchant Seamen.
The second component, topping the cairn, is a six foot bronze statue of a Canadian Seaman in the rig of the day saluting his lost shipmates (titled "The Salute").
The main remembrance wall along the rear of the monument lists all the warships that served in the Royal Canadian Navy. On the rear of the remembrance wall are listed the names of the 370 ships that served in the Canadian Merchant Army. The bell of HMCS Burlington is mounted atop the centre column of the ships remembrance wall.
Directly behind the wall are four 25 foot flagpoles flying the flags of Canada, the province of Ontario, the White Ensign of the Royal Canadian Navy 1939 to 1945 and the Red Ensign of the Canadian Merchant Navy 1939 to 1945. The monument is lit by floodlight every night. The Cairn and the memorial wall are Cambrian Black Granite. All of the ships' names are sand blasted in and painted gold. The deck is blue marble, with black trim. The size is 14 feet wide by 16 feet deep. On each side of the memorial are two flower beds with two benches.
Funding for this Naval monument came from club members, many Royal Canadian Legions in Ontario, cities and towns in Canada that have a ship named after their city, and many residents of all areas and from all parts of Canada, and local business and service clubs. There were over 415 individuals who contributed directly to the memorial building fund as well as literally thousands who donated cash in the many malls and shopping plazas, where fundraising displays were set up.
The funds for the monument were raised in ten months and a small surplus accrued, which started the Perpetual Care Trust, so that the monument can be maintained. From start to finish it took 22 months to complete. The monument is located near the willow trees in Spencer Smith Park. If you served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War, your ship's name is on the remembrance wall.
The Canadian Destroyers that served in Korea Monument is also located here.
Inscription found on memorial
[front/devant]
- IN MEMORY OF
THE SHIPS AND CREWS
OF THE
ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY
LOST IN ACTION
DURING WORLD WAR II
SEPTEMBER 1 1939 - AUGUST 14 1945 - EN SOUVENIER DES
NAVIRES ET ÉQUIPAGES
DE LA
MARINE ROYALE CANADIENNE
PERDUS EN DEVOIR AU COURE
DE LA DEUXIEME GUERRE MONDIALE
1 SEPTEMBRE 1939 - 14 AOÛT 1945
"IN MEMORIAM"
- HMCS FRASER JUNE 25 1940
- HMCS BRAS d’OR OCTOBER 19 1940
- HMCS MARGAREE OCTOBER 23 1940
- HMCS OTTER MARCH 26 1941
- HMCS LEVIS SEPTEMBER 19 1941
- HMCS WINDFLOWER DECEMBER 7 1941
- HMCS SPIKENARD FEBRUARY 10 1942
- HMCS RACCOON SEPTEMBER 7 1942
- HMCS CHARLOTTETOWN SEPTEMBER 11 1942
- HMCS OTTAWA SEPTEMBER 14 1942
- HMCS LOUISBOURG FEBRUARY 6 1943
- HMCS WEYBURN FEBRUARY 22 1943
- MTB 460 JULY 2 1944
- MTB 463 JULY 8 1944
- MTB 459 FEBRUARY 14 1945
- MTB 461 FEBRUARY 14 1945
- HMCS ST. CROIX SEPTEMBER 20 1943
- HMCS CHEDABUCTO OCTOBER 21 1943
- HMCS ATHABASKAN APRIL 29 1944
- HMCS VALLEYFIELD MAY 7 1944
- HMCS REGINA AUGUST 8 1944
- HMCS ALBERNI AUGUST 21 1944
- HMCS SKEENA OCTOBER 25 1944
- HMCS SHAWINIGAN NOVEMBER 24 1944
- HMCS CLAYOQUOT DECEMBER 24 1944
- HMCS TRENTONIAN FEBRUARY 22 1945
- HMCS GUYSBOROUGH MARCH 17 1945
- HMCS ESQUIMALT APRIL 16 1945
- MTB 462 FEBRUARY 14 1945
- MTB 465 FEBRUARY 14 1945
- MTB 466 FEBRUARY 14 1945
- 2024 NAVAL PERSONNEL
LOST ON ACTIVE SERVICE - ON ALL THE OCEANS
WHITE CAPS FLOW
WE DO NOT SEE CROSSES
ROW ON ROW
BUT THEY WHO SLEEP
BENEATH THE SEA
REST IN PEACE
BECAUSE OUR COUNTRY
IS FREE - THE SHALL NOT GROW OLD
AS WE THAT ARE LEFT GROW OLD
AGE SHALL NOT WEARY THEM
NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN
AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN
AND IN THE MORNING
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM - 2024 MARINS
PERDUS EN SERVICE ACTIF - SUR TOUS LES OCEANS
MOUTONNENT LES VAGUES
N'APPARAISSENT PAS LES CROIX
RANGEE APRES RANGEE
MAIS CEUX QUI SOMMEILENT
SOUS LA MER
REPOSENT EN PAIX
PUISQUE NOTRE PAYS A
SA LIBERTE - ILS NE VIEILLERONT PAS
ILS NE SERONT NI EPUISES
NI CONDAMNES PAR LES ANNEES
NOUS QUI RESTONS NOUS VIEILLIRONS
MAIS AU COUCHE DU SOLEIL
COMME A L'AUBE
NOUS NOUS SOUVIENDRONS
NOUS NOUS SOUVIENDRONS
[right side/côté droit]
L'ASSOCIATION
ROYALE CANADIENNE DE LA MARINE
BURLINGTON
CONSACRÉ 14 MAI, 1995
[back/arrière]
- IN MEMORY OF
THE SHIPS AND CREWS
OF THE
CANADIAN MERCHANT NAVY
LOST AT SEA
DURING WORLD WAR II
SEPTEMBER 1 1939 - AUGUST 14 1945 - EN SOUVENIER DES NAVIRES
ET ÉQUIPAGES
DE LA
MARINE MARCHANDE CANADIENNE
PERDUS EN MER
DE LA DEUXIEME GUERRE MONDIALE
1 SEPTEMBRE 1939 - 14 AOÛT 1945
"IN MEMORIAM"
- SS ERIC BOYLE JUNE 1 1940
- SS MAGOG JULY 5 1940
- SS HUMBER ARM JULY 10 1940
- SS WATERLOO JULY 10 1940
- SS GERALDINE MARY AUGUST 4 1940
- SS THOROLD AUGUST 22 1940
- SS KENORDOC SEPTEMBER 15 1940
- SS SAINT MALO OCTOBER 12 1940
- SS TREVISA OCTOBER 16 1940
- SS LISIEUX NOVEMBER 27 1940
- SS WATKINS F. NISBET DECEMBER 6 1940
- SS MAPLECOURT FEBRUARY 6 1941
- SS CANADIAN CRUISER FEBRUARY 21 1941
- SS A.D. HUFF FEBRUARY 22 1941
- SS J.B. WHITE MARCH 17 1941
- MV CANADOLITE MARCH 25 1941
- SS PORTADOC APRIL 7 1941
- MV EUROPA MAY 3 1941
- SS ESMOND MAY 9 1941
- SS ROTHERMERE MAY 20 1941
- SS COLLINGDOC JULY 13 1941
- AA LADY SOMERS JULY 16 1941
- SS MONDOC OCTOBER 5 1941
- MV VANCOUVER ISLAND OCTOBER 15 1941
- SS PROTEUS NOVEMBER 25 1941
- SS NEREUS DECEMBER 12 1941
- SS SHINAI DECEMBER 12 1941
- SS R.J. CULLEN JANUARY 15 1942
- SS LADY HAWKINS JANUARY 19 1942
- MV MONTROLITE FEBRUARY 4 1942
- SS EMPRESS OF ASIA FEBRUARY 5 1942
- MV VICTOLITE FEBRUARY 10 1942
- SS GEORGE L. TORIAN FEBRUARY 22 1942
- SS LENNOX FEBRUARY 23 1942
- SS SARNIADOC MARCH 15 1942
- SS LADY NELSON MARCH 22 1942
- ?
- SS VINELAND APRIL 20 1942
- SCHR JAMES E NEWSOM MAY 1 1942
- SS LADY DRAKE MAY 5 1942
- SCHR MILDRED PAULINE MAY 7 1942
- SS MONT LOUIS MAY 8 1942
- MV CALGAROLITE MAY 9 1942
- SS KITTY’S BROOK MAY 10 1942
- SS TORONDOC MAY 20 1942
- SS TROISDOC MAY 21 1942
- SS FRANK B. BAIRD MAY 22 1942
- SS LIVERPOOL PACKET MAY 30 1942
- SCHR MONA MARIE JUNE 28 1942
- SCHR LUCILLE M. JULY 25 1942
- SS PRESCODOC JULY 29 1942
- SS PRINCESS MARGUERITE AUGUST 17 1942
- SS DONALD STEWART SEPTEMBER 3 1942
- SS LORD STRATHCONA SEPTEMBER 5 1942
- SS JOHN A. HOLLAWAY SEPTEMBER 6 1942
- SS OAKTON SEPTEMBER 7 1942
- SS NORFOLK SEPTEMBER 18 1942
- SS CAROLUS OCTOBER 9 1942
- SS WATERTON OCTOBER 11 1942
- SS CARIBOU OCTOBER 14 1942
- SS BIC ISLAND OCTOBER 29 1942
- SS ROSE CASTLE NOVEMBER 2 1942
- SS CHARLES J. KAMPMAN NOVEMBER 3 1942
- SS LILLIAN E. KERR NOVEMBER 13 1942
- SS HAMILDOC JANUARY 1 1943
- SCHR ANGELUS MAY 19 1943
- SS JASPER PARK JULY 6 1943
- SS WATUKA MARCH 22 1944
- SS ALBERT C. FIELD JUNE 18 1944
- SS LIVINGSTON SEPTEMBER 3 1944
- SS CORNWALLIS DECEMBER 3 1944
- SS POINT PLEASANT PARK FEBRUARY 23 1945
- SS SORELDOC FEBRUARY 28 1945
- SS TABER PARK MARCH 13 1945
- SS AVONDALE PARK MAY 7 1941
1466 MERCHANT SEAMEN LOST AT SEA 1466 MARINS MARCHANDS PERDUS EN MER
[left side/côté gauche]
THE
ROYAL
CANADIAN NAVAL ASSOCIATION
BURLINGTON
DEDICATED MAY 14, 1995
[wall/mur]
needs further research/recherche incomplète
[bell/cloche]
H.M.C.S. BURLINGTON
1941
[plaque]
needs further research/recherche incomplète
Street view
Note
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