Macdonald Monument
Encyclopedia
The Macdonald Monument is a monument of sculptor George E. Wade located at Place du Canada
in Montreal
.
was unveiled by Earl of Aberdeen
, Governor General of Canada
on June 6, 1895.
At the top, an allegorical female figure carrying a horn of plenty represents Canada
. Below, the children symbolize the seven provinces that made up Canada at the time. The bronze is housed under a stone baldachin
replete with copper bas reliefs of industrial and agricultural trades practised in the Dominion
he first commanded. While the plaza is arranged along the skewed cardinality characteristic of Montreal, Macdonald looks west-northwest, under a canopy created by trades, at the vast expanse awaiting the command coming from Montreal. Also, he faces off against the tribute to Sir Wilfrid Laurier
, across the street in what is now Dorchester Square
. The whole monument constructed in the Dominion Square is the work of English sculptor George Edward Wade (1853-1933).
The monument was erected by the citizens of Montreal. The two cannons flanking the monument were used at Sevastopol
in the Crimean War
and were a gift from Queen Victoria
to the City of Montreal in 1892, to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the City.
Place du Canada
Place du Canada is a large urban square in downtown Montreal.- Overview :At it is slightly larger than the adjacent Dorchester Square, with a more varied topography due to a downward slope towards De la Gauchetière Street...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
History
This monument in memory of John A. MacdonaldJohn A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
was unveiled by Earl of Aberdeen
John Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair
John Campbell Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair, KT, GCMG, GCVO, PC , known as The Earl of Aberdeen from 1870 to 1916, was a Scottish politician...
, Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
on June 6, 1895.
At the top, an allegorical female figure carrying a horn of plenty represents Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Below, the children symbolize the seven provinces that made up Canada at the time. The bronze is housed under a stone baldachin
Baldachin
A baldachin, or baldaquin , is a canopy of state over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, particularly over high altars in cathedrals, where such a structure is more correctly called a ciborium when it is...
replete with copper bas reliefs of industrial and agricultural trades practised in the Dominion
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
he first commanded. While the plaza is arranged along the skewed cardinality characteristic of Montreal, Macdonald looks west-northwest, under a canopy created by trades, at the vast expanse awaiting the command coming from Montreal. Also, he faces off against the tribute to Sir Wilfrid Laurier
Wilfrid Laurier Memorial
The Wilfrid Laurier Memorial is a monument in Downtown Montreal.- Overview :The Sir Wilfrid Laurier Memorial was constructed in 1953 by Joseph-Émile Brunet on the southern side of Dorchester Square, facing towards the United States. Wilfrid Laurier was a proponent of an early free-trade agreement...
, across the street in what is now Dorchester Square
Dorchester Square
Dorchester Square is a large urban square in downtown Montreal. Together with Place du Canada, the area is just over 21,000 m2 or 2.1 ha of manicured and protected urban parkland bordered by René Lévesque Boulevard to the south, Peel Street to the west, Metcalfe to the east and Dominion Square to...
. The whole monument constructed in the Dominion Square is the work of English sculptor George Edward Wade (1853-1933).
The monument was erected by the citizens of Montreal. The two cannons flanking the monument were used at Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
and were a gift from Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
to the City of Montreal in 1892, to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the City.