Former Mayor and recruitment officer Harry Westoby was the president of Guelph’s War Memorial Association which was formed on February 10, 1921. The committee included representatives from the Men’s and Women’s Canadian Club, Trades and Labour Council, YMCA and YWCA, Teacher’s Association, Foresters, Rotarians, Independent Labour Party, Knights of Columbus and city council. George Drew, who in the 1920s was a war hero, was the committee’s secretary.
The Guelph War Memorial was unveiled on July 3, 1927, by Eliza Bond, mother of fallen soldier Frank George Bond. The 29' high memorial was designed by Alfred Howell of Toronto. The base is Stanstead granite, the upper statuary is Barre granite and the front statue is bronze. The theme of the memorial is to represent immortality growing out of sacrifice. This is represented by the figure standing at the base with outstretched arms holding two swords upon the handles of which are wreaths of laurel, thus suggesting the idea of glory. At the back of this figure is a cross; hence the two ideas of glory and sacrifice are combined. In this figure is seen the strength of dignity, and the eye is instinctively carried upwards through the upward glance of the face and the towering character of the shaft which gradually merges into the group of immortality. Here is found a typical Canadian soldier holding in his right hand the staff of a flag, the flag being draped over his left shoulder.
Rising above this figure is a heavily draped female figure holding a tablet to which she points and the soldier is looking towards this tablet on which his name has been inscribed. The head of the figure looks upwards as though receiving inspiration at the time of pointing to the tablet. At the side of the Memorial are flags upon which are placed a soldier’s helmet and olive and palm leaves, suggestive of peace and victory.
The memorial remained unchanged until 1978 when it was moved further back to allow for road expansion. In 1984, it was modified by Mike LeClair to include the Korean War. The Roll of Honour was moved here in September 2007 from storage and restoration. It was formerly in the Memorial Gardens. In 2018, the Roll of Honour was updated to add names of those who lost their lives as a result of service during the First and Second World Wars that were not included on the original casting of the plaques.
