Statues

The unveiling of a portrait statue to Sir George-Étienne Cartier in 1885 marked the beginning of commemoration on Parliament Hill. The many statues that have been erected since that time, project a sense of dignity and reinforce the symbolic importance of Parliament Hill.

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1. Sir Wilfrid Laurier (1841-1919)

Sir Wilfrid Laurier served as Canada's first Francophone Prime Minister from 1896 to 1911. During his premiership Canada experienced growth and prosperity. Under his administration, Alberta and Saskatchewan joined Confederation, the last British troops were withdrawn from Canada and the Royal Canadian Navy was founded.

In 1922, plans began for a statue of Sir Wilfrid Laurier. The competition for designing the monument received 40 entries from artists around the world. The winning entry was that of Joseph-Émile Brunet, a young artist from Montreal who would later become one of Quebec's foremost figure sculptors.

2. William Lyon Mackenzie King (1874-1950)

As the father of unemployment insurance, family allowance, and Canadian citizenship, King's accomplishments continue to affect the day-to-day lives of every Canadian. Leading the country in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, King held power for almost 22 years.

This statue was to be the first of four centennial statues to commemorate those Canadian Prime Ministers who played major roles in the shaping of the nation. In creating this monument, the Quebec artist Raoul Hunter strove to convey the forcefulness and determination that defined the strength of King's character.

3. The Famous Five

Inaugurated on October 18, 2000, this monument entitled "Women are Persons!" is a tribute to Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Emily Murphy, Louise McKinney and Henrietta Muir Edwards. Known as the Famous Five, these women won the "Persons" Case, a 1929 court ruling which legally declared women as persons under the British North America Act and made them eligible fo appointment to the Canadian Senate (To learn more about the "Persons" Case and the Famous Five, visit the National Archives of Canada website).

 

The larger-than-life sculptures by Edmonton artist Barbara Paterson were donated to the Government of Canada by the Famous 5 Foundation. They show the five women celebrating their important legal victory in characteristic poses. An empty chair adds an interactive feature to the monument that invites passers-by to join the group. The newspaper with the headline "Women are Persons" that Nellie McClung is holding reflects some of the actual headlines of newspapers of the day.

THE FAMOUS FIVE: WHO THEY WERE (from left to right on the picture, source: National Archives of Canada)

Nellie L. McClung (1873-1951), novelist, journalist, suffragette and temperance worker. She was a member of the Alberta legislature, the only woman on the Dominion War Council, and the first woman on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Board of Governors.

Irene Parlby (1868-1965), suffragette and politician. She was elected president of the women's branch of the United Farmers of Alberta in 1916 and became a member of the Alberta legislature in 1921. She was still a member of Parliament at the time of the Persons Case.

Emily G. Murphy (1868-1933), instigator of the Persons Case, writer, and first woman magistrate in the British Empire. She pioneered married women's rights, was National President of the Canadian Women's Press Club 1913-1920, vice-president of the National Council of Women and first president of the Federated Women's Institutes of Canada.

Henrietta Muir Edwards, (1849-1931), journalist, suffragist and organizer, fought for equal rights for wives, mothers' allowances and women's rights. She started the Working Girls' Association in Montreal in 1875, a forerunner of the Young Women's Christian Association(YWCA). Later, while living in Alberta, she compiled two works on Alberta and federal laws affecting women and children.

Louise McKinney (1868-1931), politician and temperance campaigner. She was president of the Dominion Women's Christian Union and elected to the Alberta legislature in 1917 as representative of the non-partisan league.

4. Sir John A. Macdonald (1815-1891)

As one of the Fathers of Confederation and Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald's role in shaping Canada's history is unparalleled. During his years as Prime Minister, Canada experienced rapid growth and prosperity. Manitoba, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island joined Confederation, while the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway's transcontinental line was driven into the ground.

The competition for the statue received approximately 44 submissions from artists in Canada, the United States of America, Great Britain and Europe. The committee of cabinet members and Public Works officials chose the statue designed by Quebec artist Louis-Philippe Hébert.

5. Queen Elizabeth II

Depicted on her horse Centenial – the former RCMP horse officially presented to Her Majesty in 1977 – Queen Elizabeth II has reigned as Canada's monarch since 1952.

The monument was unveiled as part of Canada's 125^th anniversary celebrations. Jack Harman and his staff of ten worked for two years to create this monument.

6. Robert Baldwin (1804-1858) and Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine (1807-1864)

This monument is the only one on Parliament Hill to honour two statesmen at once. Erected in 1914, it pays tribute to these two men who played a pivotal role in the peaceful movement towards responsible government in pre-Confederation Canada.

The competition for this statue was limited to Canadian artists. Walter Seymour Allward of Toronto was chosen unanimously by the then-newly formed Advisory Arts Council, a body formed to advise the Government on matters of art.

7. Thomas D'Arcy McGee (1825-1868)

A Father of Confederation and a great orator, Irish-born Thomas D'Arcy McGee was one of the most vigorous supporters of Canadian Confederation. McGee was also known for speaking out against the Fenians, a group of Irish Americans who sought to invade Canada in the 1860s. His opposition to this group may have caused his death. He was shot and killed in 1868, by an assassin who many believe was a Fenian.

The competition for this statue was held simultaneously with one for a statue of George Brown. Both men were strong advocates of Confederation and both met violent and untimely deaths. Quebec sculptor George William Hill won both competitions.

8. Victoria Tower Bell

The Victoria Tower Bell was cast in 1875 and installed in the Victoria Tower in 1877. The Bell fell from the Tower in the Centre Block fire of 1916 and is one of the few remaining links to Canada's first house of government.

This monument, restored in the year 2000 with the financial support of the Canadian Bankers Association, is a tribute to the role that the Bell played in an earlier time. It is showcased on a circular granite base, etched as the face of a clock, that represents its role in the keeping of time. The Bell's inclined position recalls the angle at which it came to rest after falling during the fire of 1916.

9. George Brown (1818-1880)

As a newspaper editor and politician, George Brown first became active in politics in 1844. Having founded a newspaper in Toronto called the Globe, he lent its support first to responsible government and later to the Confederation movement. He also fought for Confederation while serving as a Member of Parliament from the 1850s to 1867. Thirteen years after he retired from elected office, he was accidentally shot by an ex-employee of the newspaper and died from the subsequent infection.

Installed in 1913, this statue was created by Quebec artist George William Hill. In creating this statue, Hill emphasized the importance of Brown's support for the cause of responsible government.

10. Alexander Mackenzie (1822-1892)

Once a member of his cabinet, Sir Wilfrid Laurier described Mackenzie as "One of the truest and strongest characters to be met within Canadian History." During his five years as Prime Minister, the Supreme Court of Canada and the Auditor General's Office were established. He also introduced changes to election laws that included the right to secret ballot and universal male suffrage.

The competition for this statue was run concurrently with the monument in honour of Queen Victoria. After much deliberation both contracts were awarded to Quebec artist Louis-Philippe Hébert. After being displayed at the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1900, the statue of Alexander Mackenzie was placed on Parliament Hill in 1901.

11. Sir George-Étienne Cartier (1814-1873)

Banished early in his political career for participating in the Rebellion in Lower Canada in 1837, Sir George-Étienne Cartier would go on to be created a baronet for the integral role he played in Canadian Confederation. Cartier formed a joint ministry for a United Canada from 1857 to 1862 with long-time friend Sir John A. Macdonald, thus serving as joint Prime Minister. Cartier died in 1873 at the age of 58.

Deeply affected by Cartier's death, Macdonald proposed that he be given both a state funeral and commemorative monument. As the first monument to be erected on Parliament Hill, the competition attracted entries from Canada, the United States of America, Great Britain, and Italy. The winner was Quebec sculptor Louis-Philippe Hébert. This would prove to be the first of four monuments he would create for Parliament Hill.

12. John George Diefenbaker (1895-1979)

As Canada's 13^th Prime Minister, from 1957 to 1963, John Diefenbaker introduced the Canadian Bill of Rights and extended the vote to include Native peoples. During his time as Prime Minister he was also the first to appoint a woman to the federal cabinet. He served as a Member of the House of Commons until his death in 1979.

In 1985, a motion for a monument in honour of John Diefenbaker was passed unopposed in the House of Commons. Twenty-one artists expressed interest in the project. It was awarded to Winnipeg-based artist Leo Mol, who had known Mr. Diefenbaker personally.

13. Queen Victoria (1819-1901)

Queen Victoria officially chose Ottawa as Canada's capital in 1857. Nearly forty years later, a monument to Queen Victoria, intended as part of a lavish celebration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the sixtieth year of her reign, was proposed for the Hill.

The competition for this monument was only open to Canadian sculptors. Louis-Philippe Hébert, a sculptor from Quebec, won the contract. Before being placed on Parliament Hill, the statue was first displayed at the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1900.

14. Lester Bowles Pearson (1897-1972)

When Lester B. Pearson became Canada's 14^th Prime Minister, he had already received the Nobel Peace Prize for creating the United Nations peace-keeping force during his term as President of the General Assembly of the United Nations. While Prime Minister, Pearson's government established the Canada Pension Plan, universal health care and the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism. It also adopted a striking new flag. Thanks to Pearson's initiatives at the United Nations, that flag is now recognized world wide as the symbol of a peace-loving nation.

Danek Mozdzenski, the Edmonton-based sculptor responsible for creating this monument, completed the statue in 1989. From where the monument sits, at least twelve Canadian flags can be seen flying in the skies above Ottawa.

15. Sir Robert Laird Borden (1854-1937)

As Prime Minister during the First World War, Sir Robert Borden made a significant contribution to Canada's nationhood. He argued successfully that Canada and other countries in the British Empire should be recognized as autonomous nations, both in command of their own troops and in treaty negotiations at the end of the war. In 1918, his government passed the Women's Franchise Act, giving all women the right to vote in federal elections.

Of the 29 entries submitted to the contest for this statue, the winner was from Toronto-based sculptor Frances Loring. On the opening day of a new session of Parliament in 1957, the monument honouring Sir Robert Borden was unveiled.

16. Police Memorium

On March 22, 1994, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien joined the more than 700 police officers and relatives of slain officers to inaugurate the new Memorial site behind the Parliament buildings. The Canadian Police Association (CPA) and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) dedicated the new Canadian Police Memorial Pavilion, and the granite stone at the base of the pavilion that displays the names of officers killed while on duty.

On September 24, 1998, the Government of Canada officially proclaimed the last Sunday of September of every year as Police and Peace Officers' National Memorial Day. In announcing the commemorative day on September 27, 1998, the Solicitor general of Canada stated that "A formal, national Memorial Day gives Canadians an opportunity each year to formally express appreciation for the dedication of police and peace officers, who make the ultimate, tragic sacrifice to keep communities safe."

The Canadian Police and Peace Officers' Memorial Service is a lasting tribute to the sacrifice of those brave men and women killed during the performance of duty. As the Memorial reminds us, "They are our heroes. We shall not forget them."

History of the Memorial:

The murder of Ottawa rookie Cst. David Kirkwood, on July 11, 1977, launched a response that, today, has become a nationally recognized ceremony, honouring police and peace officers killed in the line of duty. The site selected for the ceremony was Parliament Hill.

Following that first ceremony, a number of features have become tradition and, at the same time, some modifications to the event have occurred as well. The ceremony was expanded to honour other police officers murdered in the line of duty and this criterion of inclusion was itself modified years later to include all officers killed in the line of duty. This current criterion has been applied retroactively, and names of officers killed in the line of duty, from years gone by, are now being added to the Memorial stone. The original ceremonies were limited to police and correctional officers killed but that criterion was expanded, in 1995, to include all peace officers so that all areas of law enforcement are now included in one single ceremony.

During the 1984 service in Ottawa, a Memorial book of remembrance for police and correctional officers killed, while on duty, was introduced by the Office of the Solicitor General and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP).

When the granite stone was unveiled in 1994, it displayed the names of 227 police officers killed in the line of duty since 1879. Two other stones were also erected; one for peace officers who died in the line of duty and another explaining the pavilion's history. In 1995, the memorial honour roll was expanded to include the names of slain officers from other Canadian law enforcement agencies, including, Ministry of Natural Resources, Customs and Excise, Fisheries and Oceans, and Conservation.