Royal Canadian Navy Monument

The Royal Canadian Navy Monument commemorates the contributions and sacrifices of the men and women in naval uniform who have served and continue to serve Canada at sea in times of peace and war. Built for the Navy’s Centennial in 2010, it is located at Richmond Landing, a quiet enclave in the heart of Ottawa, surrounded on three sides by water where it juts into the Ottawa River just below the Library and Archives Canada building and not far from the Canadian War Museum.

Rather than a single focal object, the site itself is a key part of the monument. It is a tranquil sloped lawn that provides for a moment of reflective pause while also offering a visceral feeling of flow and movement, like a ship at sea, and contained within the setting of the river and the sky. The monument reflects many facets of the Canadian Navy in its use of the naval colours of black, white and gold.

In addition to the symbolism of the site itself, the monument includes two main components:

• The Naval Signature: a curved white marble structure that celebrates the navy’s past and future. Its dramatic vertical form suggests many naval associations, from sails to naval attire and even modern stealth ship design. Set into an inclined granite base, it symbolizes the sense of movement inherent in the naval experience. Cut into this inclined granite base are two bronze strips aligned with the North/South and East/West cardinal axes, referencing navigation and Canada’s tri-coastal naval reality. A curved level deck on the east side of the sloped granite plinth provides repose and a comfortable opportunity to read the Naval Battle Honours inscribed in the surface of the marble, as well as a view of the fast-moving Ottawa River. Set into the deck is a fouled anchor, a powerful naval symbol, made of black granite.

• The Navy Wake: Added to the monument in 2017, this long and low curved wall is inscribed with the names of all Her/His Majesty’s Canadian Ships and naval establishments since the navy’s founding in 1910. Its curvilinear form makes visual reference to many naval shapes including ships, sails, and waves.

And several other elements:

• Mast: contrasting the solidity of stone Naval Signature, the delicate steel navy mast provides a second spatial counterpoint within the monument space. A recognized symbol on all ships and naval establishments, the mast and its flags link past, present, and future.

• Gold spheres: mounted on both the Naval Signature and the mast, these orbs speak of sun, moon, and the global reach of the navy, and to the critical dimension of communications and navigation. The slight offset of the gilded orb on the white marble Signature contributes to the unsettled sense of horizontality.

• Entry threshold / Heart of Oak: a shallow grass berm, surrounded with symbolic oak trees. Oak is a historic shipbuilding material, immortalized in the traditional navy song Heart of Oak.

• Pier on the Ottawa River: a naval reference that makes the monument site symbolically accessible by water, though the pier could also be used for practical ceremonial purposes, for example to land dignitaries on the site from a vessel.

Al McWilliams, a Canadian artist from Vancouver, British Columbia, worked with the architects Joost Bakker and Bruce Haden to create the design of the monument. "During our initial visit to the Richmond Landing site, the three of us were unanimous in thinking that the site, as a land form, needed very little, but subtle, manipulation. The shape of this peninsula, while much like the prow of a ship, also echoed the shape of Canada, a tri-coastal nation surrounded on three sides by water."

[plaque, Naval Signature]

• ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY
  MONUMENT
• “… mark my words, whoever may take over
  the reins of power will have to have a
  navy, as every nation with a seashore must have
  and has had in the past.”
• Sir Wilfrid Laurier, November 10, 1910.
• This monument was created as an enduring legacy
  to the Royal Canadian Navy, in honour of its centennial
  celebrated in 2010.
• Since its establishment, the Navy has been instrumental
  in protecting and preserving Canada’s sovereignty,
  not only by safeguarding our maritime approaches,
  but also by representing our interests in international waters.
  The contributions and sacrifices of the men and women
  in naval uniform who have served and continue to serve
  Canada at sea in times of peace and war will not be forgotten.
• Unveiled by the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, PC, MP,
  Prime Minister of Canada, on May 3, 2012.
• Artist: Al McWilliams
  Architects: Joost Bakker and Bruce Haden
• MONUMENT DE LA MARINE
  ROYALE CANADIENNE
• « … croyez-moi, quiconque prendra
  les rênes du pouvoir devra disposer d’une
  marine, puisque chaque pays qui possède
  des rives a disposé d’une marine par le passé
  et devra en disposer à l’avenir. » [Traduction]
• Sir Wilfrid Laurier, le 10 novembre 1910.
• Ce monument a été érigé pour commémorer le centenaire
  de la Marine royale canadienne en 2010.
• Depuis sa création, la Marine joue un rôle déterminant dans
  la protection de la souveraineté du Canada, non seulement
  en protégeant ses abords maritimes, mais en représentant
  ses intérêts dans les eaux internationales. La contribution
  et les sacrifices des hommes et des femmes qui ont servi
  et servent toujours le Canada en uniforme de la Marine, et ce,
  en temps de guerre comme en temps de paix, ne tomberont
  pas dans l’oubli.
• Inauguré par le très honorable Stephen Harper, CP, député,
  premier ministre du Canada, le 3 mai 2012.
• Artiste : Al McWilliams
  Architectes : Joost Bakker et Bruce Haden

[east side, Naval Signature]

[west side, Naval Signature]

READY AYE READY

PRÊT OUI PRÊT

[inscription on Navy Wake]

ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY
Ships and Establishments
1910 – 2010

Names are listed alphabetically
Figures in brackets indicate the number of times a name has been used.

________________________________

MARINE ROYALE CANADIENNE
Navires et établissements
1910 – 2010

Les noms sont en ordre alphabétique.
Les chiffres entre parenthèses indiquent le nombre de fois qu’un nom a été utilisé.

• (column 1/colonne 1)
• ACADIA
• ADVERSUS
• AGASSIZ
• AKLAVIK
• ALACHASSE
• ALBERNI
• ALBRO LAKE
• ALDERGROVE
• HMS ALGERINE
• ALGOMA
• ALGONQUIN (2)
• AMBLER
• (column 2/colonne 2)
• AMHERST
• ANDRÉE DUPRÉ
• ANNAN
• ANNAPOLIS (2)
• ANTICOSTI
• ANTIGONISH
• ARLEUX
• ARMENTIÈRES
• ARNPRIOR
• ARRAS
• ARROWHEAD
• ARVIDA
• (column 3/colonne 3)
• ASBESTOS
• ASSINIBOINE (2)
• ATHABASKAN (3)
• ATHOLL
• AURORA
• AVALON
• BADDECK
• BARRIE
• BATTLEFORD
• BAYFIELD
• BEACON HILL
• BEAUHARNOIS
• (column 4/colonne 4)
• BEAVER (2)
• BELLECHASSE
• BELLEVILLE
• BERMUDA
• BITTERSWEET
• BLAIRMORE
• BLUE HERON
• BONAVENTURE
• BORDER CITIES
• BOWMANVILLE
• BRANDON (2)
• BRANTFORD

• (column 5/colonne 5)
• BRAS D'OR (2)
• BROCKVILLE
• BRUNSWICKER
• BUCKINGHAM
• BUCTOUCHE
• BURLINGTON
• BURRARD
• BYTOWN
• CABOT
• CALGARY (2)
• CAMROSE
• CANADA
• (column 6/colonne 6)
• CANSO
• CAP DE LA MADELEINE
• CAPE BRETON (2)
• CAPE SCOTT
• CAPILANO
• CAPTOR
• CARAQUET
• CARIBOU (3)
• CARLETON
• CARLPLACE
• CARTIER (2)
• CATARAQUI
• (column 7/colonne 7)
• CAYUGA
• CC 1
• CC 2
• CD 1 - CD 100
• CEDARWOOD
• CH 14
• CH 15
• CHALEUR (3)
• CHAMBLY
• CHAMPLAIN (2)
• CHARLOTTETOWN (3)
• CHARNY
• (column 8/colonne 8)
• CHATHAM (2)
• CHAUDIÈRE (2)
• CHEBOGUE
• CHEDABUCTO
• CHICOUTIMI (2)
• CHIGNECTO (3)
• CHILLIWACK
• CHIPPAWA
• CHURCHILL
• CLAYOQUOT
• COATICOOK
• COBALT

• (column 9/colonne 9)
• COBOURG
• COLLINGWOOD
• COLUMBIA (2)
• COMOX (2)
• CONESTOGA
• COPPER CLIFF
• COQUITLAM
• CORDOVA
• CORMORANT (2)
• CORNER BROOK
• CORNWALLIS
• COUGAR (3)
• (column 10/colonne 10)
• COURTENAY
• COVERDALE
• COWICHAN (3)
• CRANBROOK
• CRESCENT
• CRUSADER
• DAERWOOD
• DAUPHIN
• DAWSON
• D'IBERVILLE (2)
• DIGBY
• DISCOVERY
• (column 11/colonne 11)
• DOMINION
• DONNACONA
• DRUMHELLER
• DRUMMONDVILLE
• DUNDALK
• DUNDAS
• DUNDURN
• DUNVEGAN
• DUNVER
• EARL GREY
• EASTORE
• EASTVIEW
• (column 12/colonne 12)
• EDMONTON
• EDMUNDSTON
• ELK (2)
• ESQUIMALT
• ETTRICK
• EYEBRIGHT
• FENNEL
• FERGUS
• FESTUBERT
• FLEUR DE LIS
• FLORENCE
• FOREST HILL

• (column 13/colonne 13)
• FORT ERIE
• FORT FRANCES
• FORT RAMSAY
• FORT STEELE
• FORT WILLIAM
• FORTUNE
• FRASER (2)
• FREDERICTON (2)
• FRENCH
• FROBISHER BAY
• FRONTENAC
• FUNDY (3)
• (column 14/colonne 14)
• GALIANO
• GALT
• GANANOQUE
• GANDER
• GASPÉ (2)
• GATINEAU (2)
• GEORGIAN
• GIFFARD
• GIVENCHY
• GLACE BAY (2)
• GLOUCESTER
• GODERICH
• (column 15/colonne 15)
• GOOSE BAY
• GRANBY
• GRANDMÈRE
• GRIFFON
• GRILSE (2)
• GRIZZLY (2)
• GROU
• GUELPH (2)
• GUYSBOROUGH
• HAIDA
• HALIFAX (2)
• HALIGONIAN
• (column 16/colonne 16)
• HALLOWELL
• HAMILTON
• HAWKESBURY
• HEPATICA
• HESPELER
• HOCHELAGA (2)
• HUMBERSTONE
• HUNTER
• HUNTSVILLE
• HURON (2)
• HUSKY
• INCH ARRAN

• (column 17/colonne 17)
• INGONISH
• INUVIK
• IROQUOIS (2)
• JALOBERT
• JAMES BAY
• JOLIETTE
• JOLLIET
• JONQUIÈRE
• KALAMALKA
• KAMLOOPS
• KAMSACK
• KAPUSKASING
• (column 18/colonne 18)
• KELOWNA
• KÉNOGAMI
• KENORA
• KENTVILLE
• KINCARDINE
• KINGS
• KINGSTON
• KIRKLAND LAKE
• KITCHENER
• KOKANEE
• KOOTENAY (2)
• LA HULLOISE
• (column 19/colonne 19)
• LA MALBAIE
• LABRADOR
• LACHINE
• LACHUTE
• LADY EVELYN
• LANARK
• LANSDOWNE
• LASALLE
• LAURENTIAN
• LAURIER
• LAUZON
• LAVALLÉE
• (column 20/colonne 20)
• LAYMORE
• LCI(L) (30)
• LEASIDE
• LETHBRIDGE
• LÉVIS (2)
• LIL II
• LINDSAY
• LLEWELLYN
• LLOYD GEORGE
• LOCH ACHANALT
• LOCH ALVIE
• LOCH MORLICH

• (column 21/colonne 21)
• LOCKEPORT
• LONG BRANCH
• LONGUEUIL
• LOON
• LOOS
• LOUISBURG (2)
• LUNENBURG
• LYNX
• MACDONALD
• MACKENZIE
• MACSIN
• MAGNIFICENT
• (column 22/colonne 22)
• MAGOG
• MAHONE
• MALAHAT
• MALASPINA
• MALLARD
• MALPEQUE
• MARGAREE (2)
• MARGARET
• MARVITA
• MASSET
• MASTODON
• MATANE
• (column 23/colonne 23)
• MATAPEDIA
• MATSQUI
• MAYFLOWER
• MEDICINE HAT
• MELVILLE
• MEON
• MERRITTONIA
• MESSINES
• MICMAC
• MIDDLESEX
• MIDLAND
• MILLTOWN
• (column 24/colonne 24)
• MIMICO
• MINAS
• MIRAMICHI (3)
• ML 050 - ML 129
• MONCTON (2)
• MONNOW
• MONT JOLI
• MONTCALM
• MONTRÉAL (3)
• MOONBEAM
• MOOSE (3)
• MOOSE JAW

• (column 25/colonne 25)
• MORDEN
• MORESBY
• MTB TYPE D: 726, 727, 735, 736, 743-746, 748, 797
• MTB TYPE G: 459-466, 485, 486, 491
• MULGRAVE
• MURRAY STEWART
• HMS NABOB
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
• (column 26/colonne 26)
• NADEN
• NANAIMO (2)
• NANOOSE
• NAPANEE
• NENE
• NEW GLASGOW
• NEW LISKEARD
• NEW WATERFORD
• NEW WESTMINSTER
• NEWPORT CORNER
• NIAGARA (2)
• NIOBE (2)
• (column 27/colonne 27)
• NIPIGON (2)
• NITINAT
• NONSUCH
• NOOTKA (2)
• NORANDA
• NORSAL
• NORSYD
• NORTH BAY
• OAKVILLE
• OJIBWA
• OKANAGAN
• ONONDAGA
• (column 28/colonne 28)
• ONTARIO
• ORANGEVILLE
• ORCA
• ORILLIA
• ORIOLE
• ORKNEY
• OSHAWA
• OTTAWA (4)
• OTTER
• OUTARDE
• OUTREMONT
• OWEN SOUND

• (column 29/colonne 29)
• PARRY SOUND
• PATRICIAN
• PATRIOT (2)
• PENETANG
• PEREGRINE
• PETERBOROUGH
• PETROLIA
• PICTOU
• PORT ARTHUR
• PORT COLBORNE
• PORT HOPE
• PORTAGE
•  
• (column 30/colonne 30)
• PORTE DAUPHINE
• PORTE DE LA REINE
• PORTE QUÉBEC
• PORTE SAINT JEAN
• PORTE SAINT LOUIS
• POUNDMAKER
• PRESCOTT
• PRESERVER (2)
• PRESTONIAN
• PREVOST
• PRINCE DAVID
• PRINCE HENRY
• PROVIDER (2)
• (column 31/colonne 31)
• PRINCE ROBERT
• PRINCE RUPERT
• PROTECTEUR
• PROTECTOR
• HMS PUNCHER
• PV I - PV VII
• QU'APPELLE (2)
• QUATSINO
• QUEBEC
• QUEEN
• QUEEN CHARLOTTE
•  
•  
• (column 32/colonne 32)
• QUESNEL
• QUINTE (2)
• RACCOON (2)
• RADISSON
• RAINBOW (2)
• RAVEN
• RAYON D'OR
• RED DEER
• REGINA (2)
• REINDEER (2)
• RENARD (2)
• REO II
•  

• (column 33/colonne 33)
• RESOLUTE
• RESTIGOUCHE (2)
• REVELSTOKE
• RIBBLE
• RIMOUSKI
• RIVIÈRE DU LOUP
• ROCKCLIFFE
• ROSS NORMAN
• ROSSLAND
• ROSTHERN
• ROYAL ROADS
• ROYALMOUNT
• (column 34/colonne 34)
• RUNNYMEDE
• S-09
• SACKVILLE
• SAGUENAY (2)
• SAINT JOHN
• SAMBRO (2)
• SANKATY
• SANS PEUR
• SARNIA
• SASKATCHEWAN (2)
• SASKATOON (2)
• SAULT STE. MARIE
• (column 35/colonne 35)
• SCATARI
• SCOTIAN
• SEA CLIFF
• SHAWINIGAN (2)
• SHEARWATER (2)
• SHEDIAC
• SHELBURNE
• SHERBROOKE
• SHULAMITE
• SIOUX
• SKEENA (2)
• SKIDEGATE
• (column 36/colonne 36)
• SMITHS FALLS
• SNOWBERRY
• SOMERS ISLES
• SOREL
• SPIKENARD
• SPRINGHILL
• ST. HYACINTHE
• ST. BONIFACE
• ST. CATHARINES
• ST. CLAIR
• ST. CROIX (2)
• ST. ELOI

• (column 37/colonne 37)
• ST. FRANCIS
• ST. JOHN'S
• ST. JOSEPH
• ST. JULIEN
• ST. LAMBERT
• ST. LAURENT (2)
• ST. PIERRE
• ST. STEPHEN
• ST. THOMAS
• STADACONA (2)
• STANDARD COASTER
• STAR
• (column 38/colonne 38)
• STAR XVI
• STE. THÉRÈSE
• STELLARTON
• STETTLER
• STONE FRIGATE
• STONE TOWN
• STORMONT
• STRATFORD
• STRATHADAM
• STRATHROY
• SUDBURY
• SUDERÖY I
• (column 39/colonne 39)
• SUDERÖY II
• SUDERÖY IV
• SUDERÖY V
• SUDERÖY VI
• SUMMERSIDE (2)
• SUNBEAM
• SUSSEXVALE
• SWANSEA
• SWIFT CURRENT
• TECUMSEH
• TEME
• TERRA NOVA
• (column 40/colonne 40)
• THE PAS
• THETFORD MINES
• THIEPVAL
• THORLOCK
• THUNDER (3)
• TILLSONBURG
• TIMMINS
• TORONTO (2)
• TR 1 - TR 60
• TRAIL
• TRANSCONA
• TRENTONIAN

• (column 41/colonne 41)
• TRILLIUM
• TRINITY
• TROIS RIVIÈRES
• TRURO
• TUNA
• U 190
• U 889
• UGANDA
• UNGAVA (2)
• UNICORN
• VALLEYFIELD
• VANCOUVER (3)
• (column 42/colonne 42)
• VEGREVILLE
• VENCEDOR
• VENOSTA
• VENTURE (6)
• VICTORIA
• VICTORIAVILLE
• VIERNOE
• VILLE DE QUÉBEC (2)
• VIMY
• VISON
• WALLACEBURG
• WARRIOR
• (column 43/colonne 43)
• WASAGA
• WASKESIU
• WENTWORTH
• WEST YORK
• WESTMOUNT
• WETASKIWIN
• WEYBURN
• WHITBY
• WHITEHORSE
• WHITETHROAT
• WINDFLOWER
• WINDSOR
• (column 44/colonne 44)
• WINNIPEG (2)
• WOLF (3)
• WOODSTOCK
• YELLOWKNIFE
• YORK
• YPRES
• YUKON
•  
•  
•