Interested in one of our products? Get a quote
Interested in one of our products? Get a quote
Stretching approximately 30 metres across the grounds of Queen’s Park, the Ontario Veterans’ Memorial uses granite as a canvas to tell stories from Canada’s military history.
HGH Granite supplied and fabricated the granite elements throughout the memorial, including the monumental wall, paving, seating, coping and documentary panel. Our team also laser etched the detailed photographic imagery across the polished Jet Black granite.
Unveiled in September 2006, the Ontario Veterans’ Memorial stands on the grounds of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario at Queen’s Park in Toronto.
The 30-metre-long memorial commemorates the service of Canadians in times of war and peace, with imagery spanning Canada’s military history from Confederation onwards.
Designed by Canadian artist Allan Harding MacKay and landscape architectural firm Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg, the memorial brings together granite, bronze, text, imagery and landscaping to create a place for remembrance.
HGH Granite worked closely with the project team to supply and fabricate the granite elements throughout the memorial, from its monumental wall and surrounding paving to seating, coping and other architectural details.
One of the most distinctive elements of the project is the extensive photographic imagery laser etched directly into the polished Jet Black granite.
Our laser etching process removes the dark polished surface of the stone, exposing the lighter granite beneath. The resulting contrast allows detailed photographs and illustrations to be recreated directly within the stone.
The wall also incorporates poetic text by Canadian author Jane Urquhart and documentary text by military historian Jack Granatstein, adding context to the periods of history represented along its length.
Thoughtful details continue into the surrounding landscape. A red maple planted behind the centre of the wall was included as a symbol of sacrifice, while the extensive granite paving and seating create space for visitors to walk alongside the memorial and reflect.
Twenty years after its unveiling, the Ontario Veterans’ Memorial remains a striking presence at Queen’s Park – and a powerful example of how the medium of granite can preserve stories for generations.
