#confederation square

The National War Memorial, Ottawa

The National War Memorial (titled The Response) is a tall, granite memorial arch with accreted bronze sculptures in Ottawa, designed by Vernon March and first dedicated by King George VI in 1939. Originally built to commemorate the Canadians who died in the First World War, it was in 1982 rededicated to also include those killed in the Second World War and Korean War and again in 2014 to add the dead from the Second Boer War and War in Afghanistan, as well as all Canadians killed in all conflicts past and future. In 2000, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was added in front of the memorial and symbolizes the sacrifices made by all Canadians who have died or may yet die for their country.

he National War Memorial is the focal point of Confederation Square in Canada's capital city, Ottawa. This locates it between Parliament Hill to the west and the Château Laurier hotel to the east.

The memorial, from grade to the tip of the surmounting statues' wings, is approximately 21.34 m (70 ft), with the arch itself 3.05 m (10 ft) wide, 2.44 m (8 ft) deep, and 8.03 m (26 ft 4 in) high. 503 tonnes of rose-grey Canadian granite from the Dumas Quarry and 32 tonnes of bronze were used, all of which rests on a block of reinforced concrete based on steel columns set into bedrock.

Two 5.33-metre-high (17.5 ft) allegories of peace and freedom stand at the apex of the arch, their proximity to each other representing the inseparability of the two concepts, though, the figure bearing a torch alludes in Roman mythology to Demeter and the winged figure with a laurel depicts Nike, the Greek goddesses of agriculture and victory, respectively. Below are the depictions of 22 Canadian servicemen and women from all branches of the forces and other groups engaged in the First World War. The postures are animated and strained, not in parade form, and the expressions "convey pride, longing, defiance, a strong sense of purpose, vacancy, camaraderie and perhaps a touch of dejection, but mostly firm resolve." All are in historically correct and distinctly Canadian uniforms, and they were deliberately rendered by the sculpture's artist, Vernon March, so as to not associate any with a particular region of the country nor any ethnicity or language, thus highlighting unity.

On the north and south faces of the statuary base are the dates 1914-1918 (the First World War) above the words Service to Canada/Au service du Canada, which are intended to include all Canadians who served in all armed conflicts, past, present, and future. The dates 1939-1945 (the Second World War) and 1950-1953 (the Korean War) are on the east and west flanks of the base, while the years 1899-1902 (the Second Boer War) and 2001-2014 (the War in Afghanistan) are on the east and west arch pier footings, respectively. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier rests in the podium surface immediately in front of and on axis with the war memorial.