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Remembering cenotaphs year-round
In preparation for Remembrance Day this year – the once-in-a-century 11/11/11 – it occurred to me that I have not visited many of Victoria’s cenotaphs. When I travel, however, especially in Europe, visiting war memorials is a must on my itinerary. In fact, the course of my European holiday earlier this fall was directed by my and my husband’s desire to honour our Canadian soldiers at Juno Beach – Canada’s D-Day invasion point – on France’s Normandy coast.
I’ve discovered that I’m not alone; visiting war memorials in other countries seems to be a more common experience than taking that time in our own cities.
Perhaps, since the two great wars of the 20th century took place on European soil, there is a stronger draw to memorials built on the ground on which our ancestors died. Or could there be a greater desire to reconnect with a people’s history while travelling?
The crowd that gathered last week amidst rain and wind at Victoria’s Remembrance Day service in front of the Provincial Legislature reassures me that honouring our soldiers on November 11 continues to play an important role in the lives of Canadians. But like pilgrims to Juno Beach, why not visit Greater Victoria’s cenotaphs the other 364 days of the year? Here are some memorials to include:
Oak Bay Cenotaph
The Oak Bay Cenotaph was constructed in 1948 in remembrance of the 98 Oak Bay residents who died in World War II. A nine-foot tall statue of a woman rises out of a wall of concrete, her eyes seemingly reading the names of the dead below. With Cattle Point, one of the city’s most beautiful views, across the road, the memorial site elicits a sense of peace and quiet reflection.
The Victoria Cenotaph with a view of the Legislature
BC Legislature Cenotaph
Standing at the corner of Belleville and Government streets, on the northeast corner of the parliament grounds, it stands proudly as Victoria’s main cenotaph and is the central monument in Victoria’s largest Remembrance Day ceremony. The statue’s main figure, an anonymous soldier in bronze, represents the soldiers and citizens involved in the World Wars, the Korean War, and other peacekeeping missions. Its sculptors later designed and created the National War Memorial in Ottawa.
The Canadian Scottish Regimental Cenotaph in Pioneer Square
Pioneer Square Memorials
Next to towering Christ Church Cathedral, Pioneer Square, or "The Old Burying Ground," is easy to miss — or even dismiss — as it’s a little rundown. But if you enter the park, you’ll find some of Victoria’s oldest tombstones as well as two war monuments:
- The Royal Canadian Air Force Cairn honours members of the air force who fell in the World Wars, Korea and UN peacekeeping missions
- The Canadian Scottish Regimental Cenotaph recognizes members of the regiment who died in numerous conflicts
Memorial Park
Walk along Legion Way, in between rose gardens, up to the Esquimalt cenotaph. Established in 1924 to commemorate soldiers killed in World War I, the cenotaph is also guarded by two World War I trophy field guns. Instead of adding to the cenotaph after World War II, caretakers planted an oak seedling from the Royal Forests in England. The tree has grown to an impressive size and complements a fine atmosphere of remembrance.
- Photos & text by Jessica Woollard©
