Canadian First World War Memorials

Foremost among memorials is the National War Memorial in Ottawa's Confederation Square. The 23 figures in its archway represent all arms of the service and its sole inscription is "1914-1918". The memorial honours 619,636 Canadians who served abroad, 66,655 of whom gave their lives.

In the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa the story of Canada in the First World War is inscribed in marble panels set in the walls. On the alter rests the Book of Remembrance.

Of the 105,210 members of the British forces of the First World War who have no known graves, 19,660 were Canadian. The names of these men are inscribed on memorials in Canada and Europe. There are 11,285 on the Vimy Memorial, and 6,994 on the Commonwealth Memorial at the Menin Gate in Ypres. On the Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont-Hamel are the names of 814 Newfoundlanders who have no known grave.

In addition, the Unknown Warrior, interred in Westminster Abbey on November 11, 1920, represents all the First World War "missing" of the British Commonwealth.

Canada has in France and Belgium 13 battlefield memorials commemorating the exploits of Canadian and Newfoundland troops in the First World War. Two of these, Vimy and Beaumont-Hamel, were also used by the Imperial (now Commonwealth) War Graves Commission to commemorate the names of those whose last resting places are unknown. All the Memorials are maintained by the Commission acting for Canada. The five memorials erected by Newfoundland following the First World War became the responsibility of the Government of Canada when Newfoundland entered Confederation in 1949.