At The National War Memorial

Every once in awhile I'll photograph the National War Memorial, at the heart of Confederation Square downtown. It is one of my favourite photo subjects.

On the south end of the property, banners are displayed on the history of the place. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which dates to 2000, has become in many ways the most sacred place in the country.

From April into November during the day, servicemen and women from units across each of the military branches can be found on the grounds as an honour guard. Two of them will do hour long shifts twice a day before being relieved by the next set, taking their breaks in a space beneath the nearby Plaza Bridge.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is at the base of the Memorial.

The Memorial was designed by Vernon March as a memorial after World War One. It was dedicated in the months before World War Two. It has since been rededicated to include that war, the Korean War, the South African War, the Afghan War, and those who have died in military service to the country. It features 22 service members moving through an arch, with two allegorical figures at the top of the arch. It has the tone of commemoration and mourning, entirely appropriate for a war memorial.

Sanctuary

 Knox Presbyterian Church is downtown, and it is a regular feature for Doors Open. It was founded in 1844. The current church dates to 1932, but looks older. It blends Gothic and Norman influences in its architecture.

In a side room off the entrance hall, historical items of the church were found.

A peek out into the garden. The sanctuary is to the left, and one of the staircases ascending to the balcony is at right.

The sanctuary has these graceful arched columns. Most of the windows are translucent.

A look to the front of the church, and the main altar, with its beautiful stained glass.

Plaques are found at one corner before the altar.

They commemorate the congregation members who fought and died in both World Wars.

Colours of the 207th Battalion are here, placed here after the First World War.

The baptismal font and the pulpit are close by.

Across the way, another pulpit and a grand piano.

Courage Under Fire

 Alvie Burden came from Saskatchewan, and served in the European theatre during the Second World War, seeing action in Italy and the Netherlands.

Piercey Augustus Haynes joined the Navy after restrictions were lifted, serving during World War Two.

Eva May Roy went to war in the Second World War as part of the Canadian Women's Army Corps, and later made a career of it. Anderson Abbott was a black doctor who went south to serve with the Union Army during the Civil War.

Clarence Este saw a lifetime of service starting in the Korean War, and carrying on with various missions in the years afterwards. Jowel Fils-Aime saw peacekeeping and active duty operations around the world, but PTSD led him to take his life. The Carty brothers all served in the RCAF during the Second World War.

Black men and women have taken part in many of Canada's military history, from the Revolution to the War of 1812 and the Civil War.

They fought with distinction in two World Wars that changed the world.

And they have done the same ever since.

I found this exhibit very well curated. One of the strengths of the War Museum is telling the very human stories of individuals.

Service To The Nation

Back in May I made a stop at the Canadian War Museum, where a temporary exhibit was up in the central hub, profiling black Canadians in military service down through time.

This was done in cooperation with a museum in the Niagara area and a historical society in Nova Scotia. After the American Revolution, black Loyalists came north, and escaped slaves, making new lives in the Canadian colonies.

This is part of the citation for Stephen Thomas, who won the Medal of Bravery during the Afghan War.

Richard Pierpoint had been enslaved as a teen, but gained his freedom fighting as part of Butler's Rangers during the Revolution. He settled in Canada after that war, and served again in the War of 1812. The Coloured Corps was a militia of black volunteers who organized during that latter war.

William John Chandler went south during the Civil War to fight for the Union, losing an arm in the process, but returned to Canada and lived a long life with his family. John Bright fought in the ferociousness of World War One at places like Mount-Sorrel and Passchendaele, killed in action in the last year of that war.

Connie and Kathleen Brown were sisters who went to war in the Second World War in support roles in the Canadian military. Junius Hokan was one of Canada's first black pilots in that war, but never made it home.

David Johnson fought in the Korean War and went on to serve afterwards. Stephen Thomas served with distinction in the Afghan War.

There is a rich black history in Nova Scotia, starting with the Loyalists after the American Revolution.

William Hall was serving with a British naval gun crew in India and won the Victoria Cross for his bravery under fire. Jeremiah Jones enlisted in the First World War at a time when most men would be looking to retire, and saw action at Vimy Ridge.

The No. 2 Construction Battalion was made up of black men during the First World War, doing physical labour. They faced prejudice and neglect throughout. William White, whose parents had been enslaved, was their chaplain and advocate for fair treatment.

In recent years, the government made a point of a formal apology to the men of the No. 2 Construction Battalion.

Minnie Gray served during the Second World War in the Canadian Women's Army Corps, and ended up going into healthcare. Allan Bundy became a pilot during that war for the RCAF.

Joseph Niles saw service during the Korean War. Leo Vemb was more recent, seeing thirty years of service in places like Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan.

The Victoria Pioneer Rifle Corps was made up of free African-Americans at the invitation of the governor to settle on Vancouver Island in the 19th century. Ebenezer Mortimer, who had played baseball professionally, went to war in 1939, and was thought to have died in combat, but returned home in 1943. Samuel Watts was the first black Canadian from central Alberta to enlist in the Great War, but would not return home.