About
Learn what the memorials along University Avenue tell us about Toronto’s involvement in the great dramas of twentieth-century history. Our stories will be about combatants in two World Wars, civilians who risked their lives to save others, and people who have fought long battles for healing, reconciliation, or peace. The monuments include statues, but a surprising number of them are plazas and small parks designed to promote reflection. From Queen’s Park to City Hall, we’ll also look at why this area of Toronto has such a concentration of these memorials, with a key clue in a street-name nod to a historic building that was demolished in the creation of City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square.
Interesting Fact: One of Toronto’s most notable monuments, the towering South African War memorial that has stood at the intersection of Queen and University since 1910, was taken down in 2024 and has been put into storage for the duration of the construction of the Ontario Line subway (estimated 5 – 6 years). It is not the only memorial on this walk to have been moved to accommodate University Avenue’s growth to meet Toronto’s transit needs
Location
Meeting point:
North-west corner of College Street and Queen’s Park Crescent
West, on the lawn east of the Leslie Dann Faculty of Pharmacy, 140 College Street.
End point:
Nathan Philips Square Spirit Garden.
Details
Registration is required and the cost is $10 per person.
Look for the ROMWalks blue umbrella to meet your guides!
Walks are under 2 hours and take place rain or shine.
Highlights
