Ontario

St. Paul's Anglican Church has more than 30 memorials from the First World War, including windows, chancel screens, tablets, panels and artifacts. Almost every person who was able to enlist served in the military by the time the war ended. Of the more than 500 men and dozens of female Nursing Sisters who served from St. Paul’s Church during the First World War, 76 died.

There is a memorial window for the 76 who served in the First World War and fell and for the 507 who served in the First World War and lived. The stained glass memorial windows are known as Window for the Fallen and Window for the Living. The windows were unveiled by Governor General Sir Julian Byng of Vimy on February 27, 1927 on the east wall of the nave. They were manufactured by John Hardman & Co. in Birmingham, England. The names and dates of death were printed in the order of service for the unveiling of the grand windows above the altar.

A year after unveiling the windows, Governor General Sir Julian Byng returned to St. Paul's to dedicate yet another window to the fallen. The window includes around 700 pieces of glass from 70 destroyed/damaged churches/buildings in the war zones of France, Belgium and Italy. The pieces were found among the ruins by Brig.-Gen. Charles Mitchell, who as a senior intelligence officer, was able to move around behind the lines.

In 1910, St. Paul’s became the regimental church for The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada. Outside of St. Paul’s stands the Cross of Sacrifice, built after the First World War to commemorate members of Queen's Own Rifles who died in combat.

John McCrae Public School was named in honour of John McCrae B.A. M.D. Tor; M.R.C.P. & Lt Col: C.A.M.C. Pathologist, poet, physician and soldier. a man among men. In 1899 he came to McGill University as Governor's Fellow in Pathology and was lecturer in Pathology and later a Lecturer in Medicine. He served with the Artillery in the South African War and in the Great War as M. O. with the 1st B.de C.F.A. as Chief Physician to No 3 C.G.H. McGill & as Consultant in Medicine to First Army. Born at Guelph Ont. 1872. Died in service at Boulogne France 1918. He wrote In Flanders Fields in May, 1915, just after the horrendous second battle of Ypres, in which he lost a close friend.

The memorial is dedicated to two privates of Toronto's Tenth Royal Grenadiers, who died during the Northwest Rebellion. It was designed by Frank Darling and unveiled on May 16, 1887.

As a memorial to staff who gave their lives in the Great War, the Bank of Nova Scotia commissioned about 60 bronze tablets, between July 1920 and February 1921, to be placed on the wall of the branch where each known staff member was employed when they joined the military forces. These plaques listed the names of staff killed on the field, as well as those who died from their wounds after they returned home from the war.

This plaque honours Egerton Bancks Baines a former officer of the Bank of Nova Scotia & Spadina Branch in Toronto, Ontario, who was killed in service during the Great War.

As a memorial to staff who gave their lives in the Great War, the Bank of Nova Scotia commissioned about 60 bronze tablets, between July 1920 and February 1921, to be placed on the wall of the branch where each known staff member was employed when they joined the military forces. These plaques listed the names of staff killed on the field, as well as those who died from their wounds after they returned home from the war.

This plaque honours Egerton Bancks Baines a former officer of the Bank of Nova Scotia General Office in Toronto, Ontario, who was killed in service during the Great War.

The Shrine Peace Memorial was designed by American sculptor Charles Keck. It features a bronze figure and a white granite semi-circular bench set on a stone base. The bronze figure depicts a winged angel, the Goddess of Peace, with her arms upraised and holding two olive branches (the symbol of peace). The angel stands on a globe supported by three female sphinxes. It was unveiled on June 12, 1930, during a convention of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Shriners). 

The sculpture commemorates over a century of peace between Canada and the United States and the location is thought to be where American troops landed during the War of 1812 for the Battle of York.

In 1931, floodlights were added to the memorial to represent the great sacrifices made by Canadians in the interest of peace. 

The garden and fountain were officially opened on August 20, 1958, and the memorial was re-dedicated to the cause of peace by Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. It was again re-dedicated on July 4, 1989, during a Shriners convention.

There is a WWII memorial plaque at Central Commerce Collegiate, Toronto. In 1892, two commercial classes taught in the basement of Harbord Collegiate Institute by R.H. Eldon. In 1902/1904 Commercial classes at Harbord, Jarvis and Parkdale Collegiates transferred to “Technical School” housed in the Toronto Athletic Club (Stewart Building). In 1911 March 16: High School of Commerce used the upper portion of King Edward School. In 1911 May 18: New school named High School of Commerce and Finance; to open Sept 1911: Principal R.H. Eldon. In 1914: School moved to Clinton Street Public School Annex. In 1916 Sept 5: (New) High School of Commerce formally opened. In 1925: Renamed Central High School of Commerce. In 1991 Sept: Name changed to Central Commerce Collegiate.

French Basilians opened St. Michael’s College School in 1852.

In 1995, the Building Fund Campaign for a major renovation of the school included funding for a full Memorial Wall listing the names of all alumni killed in the two World Wars, Korea, and peace time, in the service of Canada. The WWI; WWII; Korea; Peace Time memorial wall made of Brits Blue granite from South Africa, dedicated in June 2000. “In the image and likeness of God / (school crest between two crosses) / St. Michael’s College School / Defenders of Freedom / SMCS honours its students who gave their lives in war and peace time / World War I / (25 names) / World War II / (92 names) / Korean War / (one name) / Peace Time (one name) / Requiescant in Pace. (Ongoing research in the school archives suggests that the figures, especially for the First World War, are likely higher.)

NOTE: The school discussed whether the memorial should be inside the building or outside where it could be seen by the public. When planning for major renovations began in 1995, it was decided to place it here, on what had been the outside wall of the chapel. Above the memorial are the Stations of the Cross originally painted for the Basilian chapel on Strawberry Island, near Orillia, Ontario, by Fr Robert McKinnon, the school’s art and drama teacher in the early 1970s. Fr O’Brien died before the June 2000 dedication. Kimm Bailey, Director of Advancement, finished the project.

French Basilians opened St. Michael’s College School in 1852.

The large framed listing of all of the school’s known war dead is now in St Michael’s College School musem, Toronto. Hand-written (copper plate style). Six panels (church window shape). Panel one: (school crest) St. Michael’s / College School / Honours its students / who gave their lives / in war. Panel two: hand-drawn plain cross above “World War I.” Panels three to five: hand-drawn plain cross above “World War II.” Panel six: (Greek writing) “In place of lamentation / there is remembrance, / and pity is become praise.” 

Rock garden (“Tulip Garden”): Inscribed on small rocks: (cross) Pray / for / Our War Dead / in World War I / and / World War II. Fr O’Brien initiated creation of a special tulip garden in the school’s courtyard to commemorate the 50th anniversary (1995) of the end of World War II. This was part of a cross-Canada “Canada Remembers” project. Garden composed of a small statue of Saint Francis holding a bird in his right hand, rocks, driftwood, small evergreens and seasonal plants. Maintained by Fr Cecil Zinger, a teacher at the school. Archivist Richard McQuade continues (2013) to work on details of the military records of any former SMCS students—many of whom joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. He is compiling details such as service numbers, data from government files, cross references, etc. and welcomes further information.

The Bishop Strachan School (BSS), a day and boarding school for girls, and its graduates volunteered in the Red Cross, working hard for the World War II (1939–1945) effort. Some 160 BSS Old Girls joined the women’s divisions of the three services, holding positions in such fields as intelligence, censorship, and radio operation. Some became members of the auxiliaries. Overall, BSS graduates served in Canada, the United States, England, Italy, Germany, Egypt, Algeria, and India.

1939 Sept 3: Three BSS teachers were returning from Britain aboard a civilian ship, SS Athenia. World War II was just 10 hours old when the ship became the first British casualty of a submarine attack. Dorothy Hutchings, aged 39, a popular teacher, died.