Soldiers' Tower
Municipality/Province: Toronto, ON
Memorial number: 35091-009
Type: Tower - grey stone
Address: Hart House Circle
Location: University of Toronto, Soldiers' Tower
GPS coordinates: Lat: 43.6632929 Long: -79.3951148
Submitted by: Major R.B. Oglesby
Photo credit: Major R.B. Oglesby; Terry MacDonald; Jack Marshall Ltd.
The Soldiers' Tower stands 143 feet tall and is a memorial to the 628 members of the University of Toronto who gave their lives while on active service in the First World War. The Tower began construction in 1919 and was designed by Sproatt & Rolph Architects. Funded through donations raised by the University’s Alumni Association and benefactor Vincent Massey, the Tower was completed in 1924. It is a solid stone masonry structure designed in the Late Gothic Revival style.
The initial cost of the Tower and memorial screen, the clock and the carillon was $252,500. The interest on the surplus is still in use today for War Memorial Scholarships and for Tower expenses.
It includes: carillon of 51 Bells, each one a memorial; military museum in the Memorial Room; Memorial Screen listing members of the university killed in the First World War; Memorial Arch listing members of the university killed in the Second World War; memorial books for the First and Second World Wars; eight stained glass windows and Memorial Window.
Inscription found on memorial
[cross/croix]
IN FLANDERS FIELDS
IN FLANDERS FIELDS
THE POPPIES BLOW
BETWEEN THE CROSSES
ROW ON ROW,
THAT MARK OUR PLACE
AND IN THE SKY
THE LARKS, STILL
BRAVELY SINGING, FLY
SCARCE HEARD AMID
THE GUNS BELOW.
WE ARE THE DEAD,
SHORT DAYS AGO
WE LIVED, FELT DAWN,
SAW SUNSET GLOW,
LOVED AND WERE LOVED,
AND NOW WE LIE,
IN FLANDERS FIELDS.
TAKE UP OUR
QUARREL WITH
THE FOE:
TO YOU FROM
FAILING HANDS
WE THROW
THE TORCH,
BE YOURS TO
HOLD IT HIGH,
IF YE BREAK
FAITH WITH US
WHO DIE
WE SHALL NOT
SLEEP, THOUGH
POPPIES GROW
IN FLANDERS
FIELDS.
JOHN MC CRAE, '94
Street view
Note
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