Founder's Portrait

Founder's Portrait is located in the East Transept of Canadian Memorial Chapel, between the Ontario and Quebec windows. The portrait of the Reverend Lieutenant-Colonel (Lt.-Col.) G.O. Fallis, CBE, ED, BD, DD, the founder of Canadian Memorial Church. The portrait by Kenneth Forbes, R.C.A., was unveiled by Lt.-Col. Fallis' daughter, Mary M. Fallis, on November 16, 1942. Captain Howard Green, MP, gave the address and a congregational reception was held afterwards.

Canadian Memorial Chapel was born in the hearts of private soldiers 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 Fallis, "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.

Canadian Memorial Chapel was dedicated on November 9, 1928. Regular services began on November 11, 1928, exactly ten years after the 1918 Armistice. As the first hymn was being sung the chief usher handed Lt.-Col. Fallis a cable. It was a message of congratulations from His Majesty King George V.

In the first week of the Second World War, Major-General R.O. Alexander, Command Officer in MD 2, Toronto, called Lt.-Col. Fallis to his office. "Fallis," he said, "you are the Senior Reserve Chaplain in this district. Get yourself a uniform and report for voluntary duty until Ottawa appoints. Already the help of the chaplains is needed." Thus began his second period of active military duty as a Chaplain and five more years of mutual devotion with men of The King's Forces.