Québec

This sculpture, “INFANTRYMAN”, depicts an Infantryman with FN CI rifle held in a relaxed but ready stance. The hat, badges and shoulder titles were modified to represent the parent regiment of the buyer (e.g. the headdress is a Balmoral and the statue has RHC shoulder titles). The statue was ordered by Honorary Colonel of the Black Watch, Colonel Bourne, as the Regimental Centerpiece of the Black Watch Militia Regiment. It was unveiled in 1969, and is dedicated to current and past members of the Canadian infantry.

This trophy is awarded annually to 34 Combat Engineer Regiment’s (CER) top member and is named in honour of a former member of the unit, WO2/Sgt. Major Walter “Rocky” Leja, GM, CD, who received the George Medal in January 1964 for conspicuous courage and outstanding devotion to duty in the dismantling of improvised bombs during the Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ) crisis in Montréal.

Walter “Rocky” Leja was born in Poland in 1921 but immigrated to Canada. He joined the Canadian Army and became a sapper, rising to the rank of WO2 or Sergeant-Major. On the night of 16-17 May 1963, fifteen bombs were placed in mailboxes throughout Westmount, as part of the increasing Front de Liberation (FLQ) crisis in Montréal. Five mailboxes exploded in the hours between midnight and dawn. With five explosions already, and no idea how many bombs are planted around the city, the police called in the Army. Five more bombs were found, and the police set out to disarm them as fast as possible. One of Montréal’s few explosive experts was WO2 Walter “Rocky” Leja of 3 Field Engineer Regiment, Royal Canadian Engineers. Sergeant-Major Leja’s first mailbox bomb is near a school in the area of Landsdowne and Westmount avenues. The second bomb is on a crowded downtown street, so Sergeant-Major Leja decides to make it safe on the spot. He calmly reaches into the mailbox, lifts out the bomb, and dismantles it on the sidewalk. The third bomb looks just like the second one, and Sergeant-Major Leja decides to treat it the same way. As soon as his hand touches the package, the bomb explodes, inflicting injuries from which he never recovered. For conspicuous courage and outstanding devotion to duty, Sergeant-Major Leja received the George Medal in January 1964. He died in 1992 at the Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue Veterans’ Hospital.

This memorial features a bronze plaque on a black marble backing. It is dedicated to the memory of graduates and students of the Faculty of Applied Sciences from McGill University who died in the First World War. The names of those lost are arranged in three columns.

This bronze plaque commemorates the memory of Lieutenant Herbert Lawrence Price. It was unveiled in 1908 by his father, brother, sisters, and brother-in-law.

The Sir Arthur Currie Memorial Gymnasium is named in honour of General Sir Arthur Currie, GCMG, KCB, VD, Légion d’honneur and Croix de Guerre (with Palm) – France, Order of the Crown and Croix de Guerre – Belgium, Distinguished Service Medal – US.

General Sir Arthur William Currie was born in December 1875, in the hamlet of Napperton, near Strathroy. He moved to Victoria in 1894 and taught at public schools in the area. In 1897, he joined the 5th Regiment, Canadian Garrison Artillery (C.G.A.) and has the unique distinction of starting his military career as a pre-war militia gunner before rising through the ranks to become the first Canadian commander of the four divisions of the unified Canadian Corps of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He was the first Canadian to attain the rank of full general. Currie’s success was based on his ability to rapidly adapt brigade tactics to the exigencies of trench warfare, using set-piece operations. Currie was not afraid to voice his disagreement with orders or to suggest strategic changes to a plan of attack, and is generally considered to be among the most capable commanders of the Western Front and one of the finest commanders in Canadian military history. A courageous and innovative officer, he is best remembered for his involvement in formulating the plan for the great victory at Vimy Ridge. Then, as the first Canadian commander of the Canadian Corps, his brilliant leadership produced the sweeping Canadian victories of the War’s Last Hundred Days. After the war, Currie was offered the position of Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University. He held this post with distinction from 1920 until his death in November, 1933.

Construction was completed in 1914 on what was then known as McGill Graduates stadium. The stadium sat dormant through the First World War with the ending of football from 1914 to 1918. On 5 July 1917, Captain Percival Molson, a McGill University alumnus and sports star who had been instrumental in getting the stadium plan approved, was killed in action in France. His will left $75,000 to the university to help pay for the completion of the stadium. Designed by Percy Erskine Nobbs, the stadium was officially renamed in honour of Molson on 25 October 1919.

Born in 1880, Percival Molson soon became a gifted athlete and by the age of sixteen, he had participated in several sports and as an ice hockey player, was a member of the Montréal Victorias that won the 1897 Stanley Cup championship. In track and field he competed in several events including the long jump in which he set a world record at the American Athletics Meet in 1900 and went on to participate in the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri.

After an outstanding sports career with McGill University, Molson joined its administration. With the onset of the First World War, he was instrumental in establishing the University (infantry) Companies at McGill and other Canadian campuses to reinforce the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. Captain Molson joined the Patricia’s in the field in October 1915. In June 1916, he was badly wounded in the Battle of Mont Sorrel at Sanctuary Wood near Hoge, Belgium. He received the Military Cross for his valour. After recovering from his wounds, he returned to the front lines and on 5 July 1917, on the outskirts of Avion, Pas-de-Calais near Vimy Ridge, Captain Percival Molson was killed by a direct hit from a German howitzer.

This memorial was erected by the parishioners, and is dedicated to S.L. George Patterson Christie and to parishioners who served, and in some cases died during Great War.

This memorial was unveiled around 1919-20. The stained glass window was dedicated to the memory of 23 members of the McGill Chapter of Delta Upsilon who gave their lives in the Great War. The window depicts Saint George and a slain dragon.

These memorial plaques are in memory of CIBC employees who lost their lives in the First World War and were originally located at the 265 rue Saint-Jacques CIBC branch.

This memorial is dedicated to the fallen members of The Royal Montreal Regiment, initially unveiled in 1936 and updated in 1954 with a second, lower tablet.