Old City Hall Cenotaph, Toronto, War memorial at Old City Hall in Toronto, Canada.
The Old City Hall Cenotaph is a granite war memorial placed at the front steps of Toronto's historic city hall, carved with the names of Canadian military personnel who died in service. It stands at the corner of Queen Street West and Bay Street, visible from the street.
The memorial was unveiled in 1925, following a design competition that drew around 50 entries, won by architects W.M. Ferguson and T.C. Pomphrey. It was built to mark Toronto's public mourning for the losses of the First World War.
Every November 11, the memorial becomes the center of Toronto's Remembrance Day ceremony, drawing large crowds to the steps of the old building. Wreaths are laid by city officials and members of the public, and a moment of silence is observed together.
The memorial is freely accessible at any time and sits in central downtown Toronto, making it easy to reach by public transit. Around November 11, expect road closures and larger crowds in the surrounding streets.
Field Marshal Haig personally laid a foundation stone for the memorial in 1925, which was an unusual gesture for a local monument. This visit by a senior British military figure to Toronto highlighted the close ties between Canada and Britain in the years following the war.
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