Sunday, October 20, 2013

Monuments In The Park: Animals At War


This is actually the newest military monument in Confederation Park, unveiled in November 2012 during the days leading up to Remembrance Day, and it stands beside the Boer War Monument. It marks the service of animals in warfare, from early days to the present. The plaques on the stones depict images and information on the use of animals, such as horses and mules for transport in the trench conditions of the First World War or homing pigeons for sending messages at the time. Animals were used during the Second World War as well, and still are today; the lifesized dog that accompanies the monument is fitted with search and rescue gear, and dogs are used in collaboration with  bomb disposal teams in the military.

It's a different kind of monument. If you look closely on the paving stones before it, you can make out the horseshoe prints that were deliberately added. Dog prints can also be found in the paving stones. The dog itself, so lifelike in its expression, really commands the attention of passersby.



14 comments:

  1. Animals don't get enough recognition for all they do for us!

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  2. Except for the cavalry, the animals are certainly a forgotten (or neglected) element of war.
    I've enjoyed this walk through the park and wish we had more monuments everywhere.

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    1. I've lost track of how many times I've passed by it. It's such an engaging kind of monument.

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  3. What a great idea! When we think of war, we seldom think of the animals involved.

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    1. Particularly in the First World War, there was a lot of usage of horse and mule... I mean, they were still using mounted cavalry... in the dawning age of tanks.

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  4. What a fine tribute to these forgotten animals - I love that last close-up capture!:)

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    1. It really is a case of the sculptor getting it just right. There's another statue in town- not far from the park- that I love. I've got pics of it in a draft that I'll publish sometime soon.

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  5. How wonderful. I'd love to see more of these kinds of monuments in every country. FYI: At the Cleveland, Ohio Natural History Museum, they, somehow, have the REAL Balto (preserved) and have a wonderful permanent exhibition celebrating his contribution to saving Nome, Alaska during a diphtheria outbreak. Very interesting.

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    1. I didn't know that, though I'm quite familiar with Balto's story.

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