Quebec Window

Canadian Memorial Chapel was born in the hearts of private soldiers in the First World War who, guided by a sergeant, formed a working party to bury six of Canada's war dead. On a November night of 1915, in the Ypres Salient, France, one of the soldiers said to Reverend Lieutenant-Colonel (Lt.-Col.) George Fallis, CBE, ED, DD: "Padre, after the war is over some chaplain should build a memorial in Canada in memory of fellows like these who have given their all." From that moment on, he would never lay away their beloved dead without the idea of a memorial chapel in his mind.

On his return to Canada he was advised by Reverend S.D. Chown, DD, General Superintendent of the Methodist Church, to go to Vancouver and choose a site in Shaughnessy Heights facing the eternal hills to erect the chapel of his dreams. He arrived in Vancouver in May 1920, to a willing congregation and plans were quickly laid. 

Lt.-Col. Fallis' friend Chris Spencer, CBE, advised him that in order for there to be national significance to the chapel, he should go across Canada and interview lieutenant governors, premiers, statesmen and leaders of each province, asking them to underwrite the windows. Quebec was the fifth province he visited.

On arrival in Montreal, Lt.-Col. Fallis interviewed his old friend, Colonel Herbert Molson, Chancellor of McGill University. They had been in the same mess at Canadian Section, General Headquarters of the British Army at Montreuil. Colonel Molson had gone overseas with the 42nd Highlanders of Montreal, had been wounded and won the Military Cross. He showed boundless enthusiasm for Lt.-Col. Fallis’ dream of Canadian Memorial Chapel and invited leading Quebec citizens to dinner to hear his story.

His half hour speech on all he wished to accomplish with the Canadian Memorial Chapel was received with real enthusiasm. Colonel Molson produced a pad of counter-cheques, passed them around the table and said: "Gentlemen, I am ready to support the Padre. I invited you here because I believed you would like to share with me the privilege of erecting the Quebec window. If you wish to subscribe, use the counter-cheque." He then sat down and wrote his own cheque. The cheques were collected, and Colonel Molson placed them in a long envelope.

Back at the Windsor Hotel, Lt.-Col. Fallis opened the envelope and was amazed to find that the Quebec window was oversubscribed by thirty-seven hundred dollars. He phoned Colonel Molson the next day who said, "Oh, put it in the building fund. You'll be needing it."

W. McConnell was one of the great leaders for social betterment in Montreal. Lt.-Col. Fallis’ cousin, W. Shepherd Fallis, kindly wrote a note to Mr. McConnell asking him to see his cousin and he agreed to meet the next day. When Lt.-Col. Fallis arrived at his office a secretary said Mr. McConnell was having a meeting of the key men of Montreal on his hospital drive and would he mind waiting for half an hour. Lt.-Col. Fallis returned to his cousin's office and wrote Mr. McConnell a letter asking him for a hundred dollars towards the Quebec window. The answering letter was sent to Lt.-Col. Fallis’ cousin: "I am enclosing my cheque for two hundred dollars. I was asked for one hundred. One hundred is for the Quebec window, and the other hundred is out of my regard for the common sense of your ministerial cousin in not worrying me when I was so involved with the hospital drive."

Depicted in the Quebec Window - “The Call of the Disciples” symbolizes enlistment, both in the Christian tradition, but clearly with some colonial values. The historic events here are Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve, landing on the island of Montreal in 1642, and Frontenac making a treaty with Indigenous Peoples.

The Quebec Window was dedicated at the evening service on 2 December 1928 by Mr. Stewart Cameron.

"AND STRAIGHTWAY THEY LEFT THEIR NETS AND FOLLOWED HIM."

MAISONNEUVE
Landing on Island
of Montreal 1642

FRONTENAC making
a treaty with the
Indians

Je me souviens

TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF THE
PROVINCE OF QUEBEC WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE WORLD WAR.