Ontario

The Brockville Cenotaph was constructed in memory of the men of Brockville, who gave their lives for King and Country in the First World War, and in grateful remembrance of those who shared its danger. Unveiled on May 23, 1924, this monument has not only been used on November 11, but also as a saluting base for various regiments when holding reunions to honour their dead.

The Town of Brockville, under the leadership of Mayor W.B. Reynolds, was responsible for building the war memorial at the foot of Court House Avenue and King Street. Alderman N.G. Sommerville was the chairman of the project. The memorial is 22.5 feet in height and is reported to weigh 100 tons. It is comprised of a granite base with supporting abutments and stations a bronze figure of an advancing Canadian soldier fully equipped for battle. The soldier holds a rifle with a fixed bayonet in the extended left arm, while the right arm is in the act of throwing a hand grenade. On the East and West sides of the upper shaft are Christian crosses with a memorial wreath at the foot. Against the wreath are piled the pouches, haversack, bayonet scabbard and steel helmet of a soldier.

Below are the battle areas in which the men of Brockville served (on the East side, Passchendaele, Amiens, Arras and Cambrai; on the West side, Ypres, Sanctuary Wood, Courcelette and Vimy Ridge). In later years, the monument text came to include the dates 1939-1945 and Korea 1950-1953. The statue of the soldier was sculpted by Nicholas Pirotton - a Belgian who moved to Canada. The figure was cast by the Allis Chalmers Company of Toronto. The war memorial was built and erected by the McIntosh Granite Company of Toronto.

The unveiling of the monument was held on Friday, May 23, 1924, with a large number of veterans and citizens present. The unveiling was performed by the Right Honorable George P. Graham, who was, at that time, the Minister of Railroads and Canals of Canada. Member of Parliament, Mr. H.A. Stewart, congratulated the Town Council, the Committee and the people of Brockville for the completion of the memorial, and reminded people of what it stood for. The memorial was dedicated by the Chaplain of the Brockville Rifles, Honorary Captain A.F.C. Whalley. In the parade, were the Brockville Rifles and The Royal Canadian Army Cadets from the Brockville Collegiate. Also present were students from all the public schools. The Brockville Rifles performed a Three Valley Salute and the bugler sounded the Last Post.

The Brockville Cenotaph is now a historical site and is well looked after each year by the City of Brockville.

This memorial is dedicated to those who fought in the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War. It was erected by the Women's Institute, Athens.

In this Great War stained glass memorial window to Thomas Harold Fennell (killed in action 17 May 1916), a medieval knight is preparing to depart to join the crusade against the infidel.

The Smiths Falls LAV lll Monument was dedicated on 16 September 2018 and recognizes the sacrifices of military members who served in Afghanistan. During the ceremony, Mayor Shawn Pankow declared September 16 as Afghanistan Veterans Appreciation Day in Smiths Falls.

Light Armoured Vehicles (LAV) III were originally manufactured by Canadians at General Dynamics Land Systems Canada in London, Ontario and were instrumental to troops in carrying out their missions while in Afghanistan. The monuments were created from decommissioned LAV III hulls, donated by the Government of Canada and built by Militex Coating Inc. and Fanshawe College students in London, Ontario.

The St. James Parish First World War Plaque is mounted on a marble base surmounted by a Celtic cross with three symbolic flags on each side. The attribution in the lower right corner is unreadable. The plaque was dedicated and unveiled at a special evening service on January 16, 1921. The bronze plate was cast by the Structural Bronze and Iron Company, Toronto, and the marble base was provided by Stenhouse and Marshall of Perth.

Memorial Parish Hall was constructed in the mid 1950s through a financial campaign within the congregation. The Rector, Reverend Arthur E.L. Caulfield, had served in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Chaplain and was instrumental in the Memorial Parish Hall being built. The architect was H.H. Roberts, Westport and the general contractor was Kirkham & Farnel. The total project cost was $130,000. 

The engraved marble plaque with gold in-fill surmounted by a simple cross is mounted on the wall in the main lobby of the parish hall.

The Regimental and King’s Colours Plaque refers to the Regimental and King’s colours hanging above the position closest to the Sanctuary. Both colours carry the number 130, but the Regimental colour on the right contains no battle honours; only the term “The Great War 1916” below the Regimental crest. 

A second set of colours are hung next in order of seniority and are reputed to be The Regimental and King’s Colours for the successor unit during the First World War. They bear the numeral 1 which refers to the 1^st Battalion; The Lanark and Renfrew Scottich Regiment; the motto “Fac et Spera”; and four battle Honours: Somme 1916 – Amiens – Arras 1917 – Pursuit to Mons. Note that the King’s Colour, in both cases hanging on the left  as you face the Altar, is the Union flag superimposed with regimental designation.

Capt. H. J. Airth, quartermaster of the 130^th Battalion was in town from 5:00 pm on Sunday until 1:00 pm on Monday. With a number of other officers of the 130^th he had traveled from Valcartier to Perth for the purpose of depositing the colors of the 130^th Battalion in the Anglican Church there until the return of the battalion from the war. This took place last Sunday after which Capt. Airth motored with friends from Perth to Carleton Place and there entrained for Renfrew. He does not expect to come this way again before a visit to Berlin… Perth Courier, Sept. 1916.

The St. James Church Second World War Roll of Honour is surmounted by the Coat of Arms of the Dominion of Canada with a Sword of Honour in the middle and a base depicting the crests of the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. The document was designed by A. J. Casson, a member of the Group of Seven, and was reproduced for use across the country during the Second World War.

The Matheson Plaque is surmounted by a crest inside a trifoil with a fist holding a sabre over the motto “Fac et Spera”.

Arthur Matheson was one of the 13 children of Roderick Matheson.  Educated in Upper Canada College and Trinity College, he was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1870. He practiced law in Perth for many years. Active in the Militia, he saw service during the Fenian Raids of both 1866 and 1870. Rising in ranks during the years, he commanded the 42^nd Regiment from 1886 to 1889.

His father is also commemorated in the church on the Matheson Window.

The Matheson Window, presented to the church in 1913, depicts Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary, the Mother of James (Luke 24: 1-12) at the tomb addressed by an angel.  The banner below is held by two angels with the inscription “He is risen”.  Lilies and roses are in the foreground. Below the banner is the Matheson family crest including the motto “FAC ET SPERA”.

The window is signed by Percy Bacon, 11 Newman Street, London, England, and is the only non Canadian made window in the church.

Roderick Matheson was born in the western highlands of Scotland in 1973 and emigrated to Canada in 1807 to join a brother serving in the British Army in Quebec. A wounded veteran of the War of 1812, he was granted significant lands in and around the military settlement of Perth in 1816. He continues his military connections throughout his life and at the age of 55 in 1855, he was appointed Colonel/Commandant of the 1^st Military District of Canada West.  A major landowner, businessman and developer in the Perth/Smiths Falls area, Matheson was one of the initiators of the Tay Navigation Company and opened the first bank in Perth. His political life culminated as a signatory of the Proclamation of Confederation in 1867 and his appointment to the first Senate of the Dominion of Canada.

Although born a Presbyterian, Matheson’s second marriage was to Annabella Russell, a staunch Anglican, who took all of their children with her to St. James. She died in Perth in 1854 and subsequent to her death, it appears Robert Matheson supported this church. The couple had 11 children; seven girls and four boys. Most of the children did not marry and lived together in their family home on Gore Street, now the Perth Museum.

His son, Arthur, is also commemorated in the church on the Matheson Plaque.