Mourning and Meaning: Why War Memorials Matter

An Eternal Tribute

“At a fundamental level, memorials are there to help us remember those who served and those who died,” says Dr. Barker. “They can be many things, from monuments to artwork to street names. Taken together, they are signposts in our collective memory.”

Canada has over 6,000 designated war memorials located across the country, as well as some located overseas, like the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France. In Ottawa alone, there are 553 registered memorials, two of the most prominent being the Canadian War Museum and the National War Memorial, where Canada’s Unknown Soldier rests.

In fact, the Canadian War Museum has a special connection to Canada’s Unknown Soldier.

“Memorial Hall is a quiet, contemplative place at the museum where visitors can sit and reflect,” says Dr. Barker. “After the Unknown Soldier was taken home to Canada, his original headstone came into the care of the Canadian War Museum. An incredibly significant artefact, it was given a place of honour in Memorial Hall, where it is the sole object.”

On Remembrance Day, sunlight shines directly on the headstone, fully illuminating it every November 11 at precisely 11 a.m.

“The illumination of the headstone is powerful and moving. Visitors often leave their poppy on top of the headstone, in much the same way as others leave them on top of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial,” says Dr. Barker. “These are personal gestures of respect and remembrance.”

A Country United

Canada’s Unknown Soldier rests in front of the National War Memorial in downtown Ottawa, Canada’s primary war memorial to mark the service and loss of Canadians. It is also the site of Canada’s National Remembrance Day Ceremony.

“Unveiled in 1939, the National War Memorial was originally a First World War monument. Changes have occurred, though, over the decades. It now represents other wars that Canadians have fought, and in 2000 the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was added,” says Dr. Barker. “He quickly became the Memorial’s focal point of remembrance. Canadians often leave poppies and mementos relating to service and loss, reinforcing that it is a space to contemplate war and its consequences.”  

Today, people in Canada continue to honour those who serve and have served, whether through memorials old and new (such as the recently renovated National Newfoundland War Memorial where the Tomb of an unknown Newfoundland First World War soldier now rests) or periods of observation and commemoration (like Veteran’s Week, which leads up to and culminates with Remembrance Day). And this year, on the 25^th anniversary of the repatriation, Canada’s Unknown Soldier remains a poignant reminder of sacrifices made.

“The repatriation of an unknown Canadian soldier, one of the thousands who lost their identity in death, was a powerful commemorative act that still resonates today. You see it on November 11, but you also see it throughout the year when people visit and have a quiet moment with this soldier. He stands for all lost in war, and in that sense, he provides everyone with a place to reflect, to grieve, and to remember.”