Newfoundland & Labrador

On February 24, 1920, the question of a suitable war memorial for Bell Island was raised in a meeting of the Great War Veterans Association at the Star Hall and a fundraising campaign was started to raise money for club rooms for Veterans. Instead of club rooms, a monument was erected and unveiled on June 15, 1921.

The cenotaph stands 15 feet high, including the base block, is three feet square at the base and has a relief carving of a caribou head on the front. The 11 names of fallen soldiers from the First World War were inscribed on the cenotaph.

On June 26, 1949, a bronze plaque was unveiled by Premier J.R. Smallwood with the names of servicemen from Bell Island who lost their lives in the Second World War. Later, a plaque was added bearing the names of those who died in the Korean War.

On October 4, 1914, 538 men known as the "First 500" or "Blue Puttees" sailed from St. John's for Britain. They would become known as the "Blue Puttees" because of the colour of the uniform leggings they wore on their lower legs. The ensuing four years saw many Newfoundland soldiers, some as young as 16, make the supreme sacrifice on the battlefields of Turkey, France and Belgium while serving with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and other Empire Forces.

Topsail suffered like so many other Newfoundland towns in the aftermath of Beaumont-Hamel. Five families in Topsail lost loved ones at that fateful battle. Three of the Topsail soldiers were "Blue Puttees". Eight more men were killed in action, died of wounds, or sickness by 1922, the year the Topsail Cenotaph was unveiled. A striking granite memorial adorned with a cross unveiled by Governor Sir Charles Alexander Harris on Regatta Day, August 9, 1922. 

The project was funded by the Topsail Patriotic Fund Committee from monies raised by its citizens. The cenotaph was inscribed with 13 names of Topsail men who died in the First World War. Twelve of the men were Royal Newfoundland Regiment soldiers, one died serving with the Royal Canadian Regiment. After the Second World War, three more names from the Parish of Topsail were added.

In the mid 1970s, road construction forced its relocation on the main highway coming from St. John's towards Conception Bay to land acquired by the Royal Canadian Legion on Monument Road. It was moved to its current location in 2008 because of the deterioration of the steps and concrete around the Cenotaph and the difficulty elderly Veterans had climbing the steps.

Veteran Wayne Miller, served 29 years in the Canadian Forces with the Signal Corps. He contacted the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 50 and the Town of Conception Bay South for their support in moving the cenotaph. He then contacted artist Gerald Squires with his ideas for the new monument. They went to the National War Memorial in St. John's and looked out at the city harbour. This is where the idea for the gates of the monument came from - the Narrows of St. John's. The four circular walls were inspired from the curved wall of St. Pat's School Monument by Newfoundland artist Roger Maunder. After a few months of more concepts, Gerald presented Wayne with a drawing incorporating most of the elements seen today in the monument. Artist Morgan MacDonald was hired to create the statues on each side of the center piece.  

A concrete pad was poured in 2008 to support the Topsail Cenotaph in the new location. The cenotaph was moved with the help of Woodrow Janes and Family Memorials. Then the stone walkway, platforms and curved concrete walls were all added by 2010. Two Royal Newfoundland Regiment statues arrived in time for an unveiling and Remembrance Day ceremony on November 11.

One statue depicts a member of the Blue Puttees, a member of the famed "First 500". It shows him in quiet reflection, remembering lost comrades and friends. The second statue depicts a modern-day female member of the 1st Battalion, Royal Newfoundland Regiment, on patrol. The models for the statues were married couple Roxanne and Terrence Hurley. Roxanne joined the reserves in 1988 and was attached to the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Light Infantry which came under fire at Medak Pocket, Croatia. Terrence joined the military in 1971 with the Royal Canadian Regiment. He served overseas many times, after 41 years of service he retired as Regimental Sergeant Major, 1st Battalion, Royal Newfoundland Regiment.

In 2011, four plaque sculptures were added to two of the curved walls to represent Firefighters - bust of Chief William Bursey, Royal Newfoundland Constabulary - bust of Sergeant Paul Dawe, Royal Canadian Mounted Police - bust of Sergeant Reg Gulliford and Peacekeepers - bust of Corporal John Scott, Royal Canadian Dragoons. Over the next few years, sixteen bronze plaques, commemorative name plates in granite, lighting, flags and borders were added. More names were added to the original cenotaph to recognize the sacrifices of soldiers and sailors from surrounding communities Conception Bay is comprised of nine historical communities (Topsail, Chamberlains, Manuels, Long Pond, Foxtrap, Kelligrews, Upper Gullies, Lawrence Pond, and Seal Cove).

Conception Bay South Monument of Honour, a project ten years in the making, was dedicated on October 4, 2015, by Lieutenant Governor Frank F. Fagan.

Morgan has completed many military pieces across the province:  The Homecoming, One Hundred Portraits of the Great War and Caribou Memorial Veterans Pavilion, St John's; Danger Tree and Private Hugh McWhirter Statue, Corner Brook; Cox's Cove War Memorial; and Sergeant Gander and his Handler Memorial; Gander.

Erected by the people of Holyrood, this memorial is dedicated to the local war dead of the First and Second World Wars.

A bust of a Newfoundland Royal Naval Reservist was unveiled at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa during the annual Battle of the Atlantic Gala in April 2018. In September of that year, a second unveiling ceremony was held in Sunnyside, Newfoundland. The bust is of Able Seaman Leander Green of Newfoundland.

Leander was serving aboard HMS Hilary when a request came in to help a sinking Norwegian freighter, SS Maryetta, on January 1, 1915. The ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat and the crew was preparing to abandon the vessel. When HMS Hilary arrived on the scene, it gave chase to the U-boat, then returned to the Maryetta. The naval captain asked for a volunteer to jump into the frigid waters and swim to the crippled boat carrying a lifeline. Two sailors volunteered and both perished in the icy waters of the North Atlantic.

When the captain requested a third volunteer, Leander plunged into the frigid waters with the end of a lifeline around his waist. He swam towards the distressed vessel, secured the rope and six of the crew were rescued. He was subsequently award­ed the Distinguished Service Medal from King George V, becoming the first decorated Newfoundlander of the First World War.

When the war ended, Leander returned to St. Jones Without, Newfoundland, on November 27, 1919. As a fisherman, he supported his wife, Blanche and their 11 children and in 1952, they moved to Sunnyside where he con­tinued fishing. He was invited as a First World War Veteran to attend the official opening of the Come By Chance oil refinery on August 26, 1966, when his vehicle was involved in an accident just before the turnoff to the refinery road. His son Pearce and two grandchildren died and Leander succumbed to his injuries.

Able Seaman Leander Green’s portrait bust, of which only two editions were made to date, forms part of the collection titled “Honouring Our Great Sailors,” on display at the Naval Museum of Halifax. The edition of the bust that was unveiled at Sunnyside, Newfoundland is now on per­manent display in the conference room at the town hall.

Christen Corbet was asked to design a bust of a sailor that would represent all the men from the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve and he was given several files of sailors. In his opinion, Leander’s actions that night were the most heroic and unselfish act by an individual sailor to happen during the Great War and would do well to honour the heroism of all Newfoundland and Labrador sailors.

Christian began working with the Royal Canadian Navy in 2010, which was Canada’s Naval Centennial. He offered to donate a sculpted bust of Admiral Sir Charles Kingsmill, known as the Father of the Royal Canadian Navy. The Royal Canadian Navy’s appreciation of this gift inspired Christian to donate a second bust in 2011. This one was of Chief Petty Officer Max Bernays, a Canadian navy hero from the Second World War

Other works by Christian Corbet include: Commander Adelaide Sinclair Bust, Rear-Admiral Leonard Warren Murray Bust, Midshipman William A. Palmer Bust and Vice Admiral Ralph Lucien Hennessy Bust.

On July 1, 2015, the Provincial Government, in cooperation with the Royal Canadian Legion, announced that the bridge spanning Churchill River has been named Veterans Memorial Bridge. The name is in honour of Labradorians who served in wars and major conflicts both past and present.

Erected by 444 Squadron, this memorial is in memory of Rescue 420 personnel Captain Juli-Ann Dawn Mackenzie and Captain Colin Joseph Sonoski. Both died in a crash returning from a search and rescue mission for a missing boat on 18 July 2002 approximately 40 nautical miles north of Goose Bay. Two other crew members were injured.

The crew started their return when the tail rotor departed the aircraft. About 400 meters down track, the aircraft crashed into hilly, tree-covered terrain and both pilots were killed instantly. Search and Rescue Technician Mario Michaud and Flight Engineer David Pawulski were seriously injured. Despite his injuries, David administered first aid to his crewmate and used a satellite phone to report the accident to Rescue Coordination Centre Halifax. Within three hours a 444 Squadron rescue helicopter arrived and evacuated the survivors to medical facilities.

The memorial signifies strength and hope, pointing to heaven. The base indicates the support network of friends and family that surround us all. The trees are the cardinal points - north, south, east and west, providing us direction.

Nick Hughes, a Department of National Defence firefighter, was killed at Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay on 8 July 1988 when he was struck by an arrestor hook during an Arrestor Barrier engagement on a Tornado aircraft that was making an emergency landing. Nick had just started work with 5 Wing Goose Bay in April 1988. This plaque was erected in memory of Mr. Hughes circa 1988.

The Labrador Straits War Memorial was was erected by the people of Labrador Straits and dedicated to those killed in action in the First and Second World Wars. The memorial was designed and manufactured by Melvin Letto of Letto's Welding and Mechanical in the summer of 1992. It was relocated from St. Andrew's Church to a more prominent location on top of L’Anse-au-Clair Hill where it could be seen from the main highway. 

Albert P. Letto, the only living war Veteran from the Labrador Straits, the committee and most of the people in the area approved of this new location. In 1995, some ground work was completed at the new site. Former L’Anse-au-Clair resident, Sergeant Enis Chubbs, MP Canadian Army, and a friend of his, Master Corporal Brent Colley donated the brass plaque which contains the names of those from the Labrador Straits who paid the supreme sacrifice.

Donations from local businesses, residents of Labrador Straits and church collections were donated to the War Memorial Committee to complete the grounds around the memorial. The original committee consisted of Rev. John Organ, Philip Chubbs and Bill Horwood. Other people who have served on the committee over the years were: Rev. Eric Squires, Emmanuel Barney and Kevin Letto. The present committee members are: Bill Horwood, chairman; George Letto, Dennis Thomas and Gordon Spingle.

The Town of L'Anse Au Clair and the Labrador Straits Historical Development Corporation added a pull-off at the Route 510 access to the memorial, to provide better access to the site and to include the memorial as part of the Labrador Pioneer Footpath trail system. 

Erected by 5 Wing, Goose Bay, personnel, this memorial is dedicated to the war dead buried in the Joint Services Cemetery.

Erected in 1984 by Canadian Forces Station Goose Bay, the Royal Air Force, and the Royal Canadian Legion, this memorial is dedicated to the personnel of two air crews killed in crashes at the base during the Second World War.