Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Canada)

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (French: Tombe du Soldat Inconnu) is a tomb situated before the National War Memorial in Confederation Square, Ottawa, Ontario. The tomb is dedicated to Canadian service members, and holds the remains of an unidentified Canadian soldier who died in France during the First World War; selected from a Commonwealth War Grave near Vimy, in the vicinity where the Battle of Vimy Ridge took place. A similar memorial was installed in June of 2024 at the National War Memorial in St. John's, Newfoundland to contain the unidentified remains of a soldier of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment who fought in the First World War.

A tomb with an unidentified soldier was added to the National War Memorial in 2000, the culmination of a project begun by the Royal Canadian Legion. Since 2007, the Canadian Armed Forces have posted sentries at the tomb, and the National War Memorial, from April to November.

Unknown soldier

At the request of the Royal Canadian Legion, the Canadian government became part of the project of creating a tomb of the unknown soldier for Canada, as part of the Canada Millennium Partnership Program. The Cabinet asked the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to select one of the 1,603 graves of unknown Canadians buried in the vicinity of Vimy Ridge. Chosen was Grave 7, in Row E of Plot 8 of the Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery in Souchez, France, near the memorial at Vimy Ridge, the site of the first major battle where all four Canadian divisions fought together as a combined force. The remains of the soldier buried there were exhumed on the morning of May 16, 2000, and the coffin was flown in a Canadian Forces aircraft to Ottawa on May 25, accompanied by a 45-person guard of honour, a chaplain, Royal Canadian Legion veterans, and two representatives of Canadian youth. At the former burial site of the unknown soldier, a grave marker similar to the other headstones in the Cabaret-Rouge Cemetery was placed at the now-empty grave. It is inscribed with these words:

Tomb

thumb|The tomb is adorned with a bronze helmet, sword, and the branches of laurels and maple leaves.

The tomb is intended to honour the approximately 116,000 Canadians who died in combat, as well as all members of the Canadian Armed Forces—in all branches—who died or may die in all conflicts, past, present, and future. The granite was selected for its colour—matching that of the war memorial. The bronze work—showing a medieval sword, a First World War helmet, and branches of maple and laurel leaves (symbolizing both victory and death)

thumb|left|Sentries from the [[Ceremonial Guard (Canada)|Ceremonial Guard stand next to the tomb. The National War Memorial is situated behind the sentries.]]

Each morning, the first sentries are marched out with a duty piper and, upon taking their posts, are read their orders by the posting non-commissioned officer: both are ordered to stand at ease, weapon held diagonally in front of the body with the left hand over the right, head up, and feet 30 inches apart. Sentries hold their post for one hour before being replaced, though, a sentry may stand for two shifts in a day. Sentries on duty may march their beat, which consists of the senior sentry giving a preemptive order which is then repeated and acknowledged by the other sentry. If A two-three pause between each movement, both sentries then come to attention at shoulder arms, take one pace forward, turn outwards, and start marching their beat of nine paces. At the ninth pace, both execute an about-turn and return to their original position, if a halt is signalled. Marching the beat can continue for the full hour if desired. Sentries may not interact with the public.), the sentries, too, can be members of the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, or Royal Canadian Air Force, as well as the Special Operations Command.

Incidents

2006 urination incident

The Royal Canadian Legion leadership opined that the tomb deserved a military or police guard as a symbol of respect and to protect it from vandalism and desecration. These demands were brought into focus on the night of July 1, 2006, when Dr. Michael Pilon, a retired Canadian Forces major, photographed three young men urinating on the war memorial shortly after the annual Canada Day fireworks show over nearby Parliament Hill. In the summer of 2007, the sentry programme was instituted.

2014 shootings at Parliament Hill

On October 22, 2014, a man armed with a rifle shot at the sentries on duty at the tomb, fatally wounding Corporal Nathan Cirillo of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's), before proceeding across the street and into the Centre Block on nearby Parliament Hill. There, the shooter engaged in a firefight with Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons Kevin Vickers and members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which ended when he was killed by RCMP Constable Curtis Barrett.

2022 convoy protests

On the weekend of January 29, 2022, individuals participating in the Canada convoy protest against COVID-19 mandates danced on the statue, on the tomb, and parked vehicles on the surrounding grounds. The incident was criticized by military officials, politicians, and the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada.

References

External links

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Veterans Affairs Canada