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The Thornbury Cenotaph was erected in 1975 at Jack Acres Memorial Park on Russell Street, by the Royal Canadian Legion Beaver Valley Branch 281 to honour those from the area who died in the two World Wars. On 1 November 2019, it was relocated to its current location and re-dedicated on 7 June 2020.

The In Flanders Fields benches were removed when the cenotaph was moved and are currently in storage.

Canadian Military Police Memorial was unveiled on 17 June 2022 in honour and remembrance of all members of the Canadian Military Police throughout its long and distinguished history, who paid the ultimate price while wearing a uniform in the execution of their duties, both domestically and overseas.

Four oak panels hold the names of the fallen, with a copy of the Military Police Branch prayer placed in the middle. Above flies the Canadian Flag in the highest position. On the left of the National flag are the flags of the Royal Canadian Navy, Army and Royal Canadian Air Force to denote all three elements the Military Police have and continue to serve under. On the right side are the Union and Red Ensign flags to denote other flags the Military Police have served under. On the far right is the present Military Police flag.

Corporal Francis Pegahmagabow, the Ojibwe soldier from Wasauksing First Nation, was not only one of the most effective snipers and scouts in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, but of the Indigenous peoples in the First World War, he is the most decorated. Recognized three times for bravery and devotion under fire in Belgium and France, he is one of only 38 Canadians to earn the Military Medal with two bars, each bar representing an act of valour.

Francis Pegahmagabow was born on March 9, 1889. His father, a member of Wasauksing First Nation on Parry Island, died of an illness when Pegahmagabow was just a baby. His mother also fell ill, so he was raised by his Shawanaga relatives. As a young man, he worked as a seaman on boats in Georgian Bay. At 21, he learned to read and write English, a rare skill of Pegahmagabow’s generation. He was among the first recruits in the First World War, signing up on August 13, 1914, despite an early prohibition against the enlistment of Indigenous peoples.

Pegahmagabow served with the 23rd Northern Pioneers Regiment, based in Parry Sound, which amalgamated into the 1st Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He fought on the Western Front during all four years of the Great War, attaining the rank of Corporal on November 1, 1917. Nicknamed “Peggy” by his Army buddies, he soon proved that his courage and abilities were second to none. In 1916, he was one of the first Canadians to be awarded the Military Medal. He received the first of his three commendations for facing enemy fire repeatedly while carrying vital messages along the lines during the battles at Ypres, Festubert and Givenchy.

A spiritual man, Pegahmagabow carried an Ojibwe medicine pouch which he believed would help keep him safe. He faced constant danger, including being present at the Second Battle of Ypres, where the German Army first used chlorine gas as a weapon. Dr. McInnes said after the war, his great-grandfather developed breathing issues which became so severe he eventually had to sit up to sleep.

Wounded in the leg while fighting in France in September 1916, he returned to action in time to take part in the bloody assault on Passchendaele. During a battle so intense the Allies lost some 16,000 men, he earned his first bar to his Military Medal. His commendation reads:

“At Passchendaele Nov. 6th/7th, 1917, this NCO [non-commissioned officer] did excellent work. Before and after the attack he kept in touch with the flanks, advising the units he had seen, this information proving the success of the attack and saving valuable time in consolidating. He also guided the relief to its proper place after it had become mixed up.”

Following his actions during the Battle of Scarpe in August 1918, Pegahmagabow received his second bar. This commendation reveals again his courage under fire:

“During the operations of August 30, 1918, at Orix Trench, near Upton Wood, when his company were almost out of ammunition and in danger of being surrounded, this NCO went over the top under heavy MG [machine gun] and rifle fire and brought back sufficient ammunition to enable the post to carry on and assist in repulsing heavy enemy counter-attacks.”

His record as a sniper is equally impressive. Although difficult to substantiate as he worked alone, the expert marksman is credited with 378 kills. His great-grandson, Dr. McInnes pointed out his great-grandfather never spoke of his record as a sniper to his family.

Pegahmagabow’s great-grandfather fought for the British in the War of 1812 and he hoped his willingness to serve in the First World War would help change perceptions about Indigenous peoples. Pegahmagabow made the point himself in a 1919 interview with the Toronto Evening Telegram, saying, “I went to war voluntarily just as quick as the white man.” Ending the war at the rank of corporal, the Veteran returned home in 1919 to a political landscape that was as restrictive for Indigenous peoples as it had been before the war.

Pegahamagabow, married Eva Nanibush Tronche, had eight children, became a political activist and served as councilor and band chief for Wasauksing First Nation. He was elected the Supreme Chief of the National Indian Government and was also a member of the National Indian Brotherhood, an early precurser to the current Assembly of First Nations.

In the mid-1920s, he re-enlisted in the Militia and served in “A” Company of the 23rd Northern Pioneers Non-Permanent Active Militia (NPAM). The decorated Veteran died in the community of Wasauksing on August 5, 1952 of a heart attack. He has been honoured by being entered into the Indian Hall of Fame, as well as having the 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group’s headquarters at Canadian Forces Base Borden in Ontario renamed in his honour in 2006.

This street commemorates those who fought at Ortona in the Second World War. The mediaeval town of Ortona, with its castle and stone buildings, was situated on a ledge overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Its steep, rubble-filled streets limited the use of tanks and artillery and thus made this an infantryman's struggle. During several days of vicious street fighting, the Canadians smashed their way through walls and buildings—"mouseholing" as they called it. This was Christmas 1943. Meanwhile, a subsidiary attack had been launched to the northwest and the Germans, in danger of being cut off, withdrew from Ortona. The city officially fell on December 28.

The McLeod Hangar honours Lieutenant Alan McLeod, VC. The hanger dates from the Great War Flying Corps, 1917.

The honour roll was dedicated to the men of this community who gave their lives in the World Wars 1914-1918, 1939-1945.

Following the First World War, members of the Alliston Branch of the Women’s Institute (WI) announced their interest in building a memorial library. The Alliston WI was constituted in June 1914 and had played a leading role in the local war effort through accomplishing what many within the community deemed impossible. Their resolve was often viewed by others as courageous.

In the fall of 1919, the WI opened a small library in temporary quarters on the second floor of a general store while reiterating their commitment to erect a permanent library building as a lasting memorial to Alliston’s fallen soldiers. As a show of support, a private citizen offered them a centrally located site at a reduced rate for the new building.

Despite a lack of municipal support, the women held steadfast in their belief that the town must remember the Alliston boys. Buoyed by their reputation of tenacity and driven by their continuing commitment to the boys, the women of the WI proceeded to fund-raise over the next three years.

During that time, the WI learned of a funding source available from Andrew Carnegie who was funding library construction throughout the United States and Canada. Grants from his foundation came with two provisos: building plans were to conform to designs approved by the Carnegie Foundation and any building erected under the grant program was to be known as a Carnegie Library. The WI members voiced serious concerns that the mandatory design would appear too grandiose and that any name without "memorial” defeated their original purpose. Despite their need for financial assistance, they announced that Alliston’s library was not to be a Carnegie Institute but a small building of chaste design, the outstanding feature of which would be a perpetuation of the memory of the boys of Alliston and District whose lives had been sacrificed overseas during the great war.

Alliston Memorial Library was officially opened at 17 Victoria Street East on February 14, 1924. As reported in the February 21 Alliston Herald, several hundred onlookers applauded as Alliston’s famous native son and First World War Veteran Dr. F.G. Banting inserted a golden key in the lock, turned the key, pulled open the door and announced that "it gives me very real pleasure to declare this memorial library open and ready for use. ”

By the 1970s, the aging building was unable to adequately serve the growing population. In August 1978, the WI regretfully sold the library to the Town. Unsuitable for renovation, the original structure was demolished and a new and expanded library opened on site in 1982. Alliston Memorial Library continues to serve the public as a lasting memorial to the boys.

This sculpture, “MILITARY POLICEWOMAN”, depicts a Canadian Military Policewoman with the uniform, weapons, and accoutrements c. 1990. The model chosen was Corporal L.M.M. Monette, a member of 2e Military Police Platoon, who was the first woman MP sent to a dangerous UN Peacekeeping mission: NAMIBIA, where assignments had been previously restricted to male MPs. The sculpture was unveiled in 1990, and is dedicated to current and past members of the Canadian Forces Military Police.

This sculpture, “IN GOOD HANDS”, depicts a Canadian Medical Assistant treating a wounded soldier on a stretcher. The Medical Assistant is taking the causality’s pulse and is seen holding the casualty’s left wrist. Copies of this work were acquired by the Canadian Forces Medical School in Borden, Ontario, and by several other medical units. It was unveiled in 1992, and is dedicated to current and past Canadian medical personnel.

This sculpture, “POINTSMAN”, depicts a Canadian Military Policeman with the uniform, weapons, and accoutrements circa 1965. The sculpture was created by Col (Ret’d) Andre Gauthier and erected by the Canadian Provost Company School in Camp Borden in 1965. It is dedicated to current and past members of the Canadian Forces Military Police/Canadian Provost Company.