Rideau Hall Inuksuk Revisited

The Inuksuk, at Rideau Hall, occupies a place north of the northern path leading east from the Rideau Hall main gate at the roundabout where Sussex Drive, Princess Avenue, and Rideau Gate meet.

Silent Messengers of the Arctic

Inuksuk created by Kananginak Pootoogook, 1997

For generations, the Inuit have been creating impressive stone markers on the Arctic landscape. Inuksuk means "acting in the capacity of a human." They serve many functions, including guiding travellers, warning of danger, assisting hunters and marking places of reverence.

Messagers muets de l'Arctique

Inuksuk créé par Kananginak Pootoogook, 1997

Depuis des générations, les Inuit érigent d'impressionnantes bornes de pierres dans les étendues arctiques. Le mot « inuksuk » signifie « qui agit à titre d'humain ». Ces repères servent à divers usages, notamment à guider le voyageur, à mettre en garde contre le danger, à aider le chasseur et à indiquer l'emplacement des lieux de vénération.

Kananginak Pootoogook (1935-2010)

Dedicated on National Aboriginal Day, June 21, 1997, in the presence of Their Excellencies The Right Honourable Roméo LeBlanc Governor General of Canada & Mrs. Diana Fowler LeBlanc.

This Inuksuk was donated by MDS Nordion and The Royal Canadian Geographical Society through the Canadiana Fund.

Inauguré à l'occasion de la Journée national des Autochtones le 21 juin 1997 en présence de Leurs Excellences le très honorable Roméo LeBlanc Gouverneur général du Canada et Madame Diana Fowler Le Blanc.

Inuksuk offert part MDS Nordion et La Société géographique royale du Canada par l'intérmediaire du Fonds Canadiana.

Chesterville Military Service Monument

In Chesterville, Ontario, their military service monument occupies a place in the Chesterville Veterans Memorial Park south of Chesterville Queen Street, and west of Main Street North.

THIS MONUMENT IS TO HONOUR THESE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVED CANADA SO WE CAN LIVE IN PEACE

On this date, August 14, 2018, of the 546 memorials I have photographed in the six years since I started doing this in 2012, as far as I know, this memorial is unique. I haven't seen another like it.

Memorial to RCMP Constable Marmaduke Graburn

In the southeast corner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police National Memorial Cemetery in Beechwood Cemetery, an obelisque stands commemorating Constable Marmaduke N. Graber, the first line of duty death in the RCMP due to criminal violence.

On November 20, 1879, Royal North West Mounted Police Lieutenant-Colonel James Macleod wrote a letter to his wife, Mary. The letter included this passage:

"We have had the most frightful occurrence here which has shocked us all very much. One of the men, young Grayburn, whom I dare say you will remember among the recruits, was shot while out on the land. He was all alone and had gone some distance away from the guard upon the herd about eight miles from here. I think there is little doubt but that it was a couple of Indians who did the dastardly act.

"At present the whole thing is a mystery - there is no clue and no cause can be given for the act. It will be a sad blow to Grayburn's friends in Canada. The miscreants, whoever they were, also killed the horse Grayburn was riding and laid him in a thick bush. I am afraid it will be some time before we find out who the rascals are."

Marmaduke Graburn, born in Ontario in 1860, applied for the North West Mounted Police on April 3, 1879 in Ottawa. On June 9, 1879 he was sworn in and left Ottawa, arriving at Fort Walsh on July 4. His regimental number wa 335. He was assigned to horse camp in Cypress Hills west of Fort Walsh. On November 17, 1879 he was shot in the back while riding to retreive his lariat and axe that he had left behind earlier in the day. He was 19.

The primary suspect, an indigenous member of the Blood tribe named Kukatosi-Poka, known as Starchild, was tried for the murder and acquitted. The narrative accounts of the murder contain conflicting information. The murder remains unsolved.

PRIMUS MORIRI
IN MEMORY OF
MARMADUKE GRABURN
DIED 17, NOVEMBER 1879

His remains were buried in in Saskatchewan at Fort Walsh National Historic Site of Canada. The inscription on his grave stone reads,

IN
MEMORY OF
M. N. GRABURN
N.W.M.P
KILLED BY INDIANS
NEAR FORT WALSH N.W.T.
7, NOV. 1879
AGED 19 YEARS

On July 7, 1882, Order in Council of the Canadian Government approved the payment of a gratuity of $200 to the mothe or Marmaduke Graburn, "killed in service."

THIS MONUMENT WAS ERECTED
BY HIS COMRADES OF B. & F. DIVISIONS
OF THE N. W. M. P.
AS A TOKEN OF THE ESTEEM
IN WHICH THEY HELD HIM.

Though Marmaduke Graburn is the first recorded line of duty death due to violence there were two earlier line of duty deaths in the force. The first line of duty death in what became the RCMP was that of Sub Constable John Nash who died in line of duty due to an accident near Fort McLeod on March 11, 1876. The second happened when Sub Constable George Mahoney drowned while crossing Red Deer River on patrol from Battleford to Fort Walsh on June 19, 1877.

Chesterville War Memorial

The Chesterville War Memorial stands in the Veterans Memorial Park in Chesterville, Ontario south of Chesterville Queen Street and west of Main Street North.

In proud and grateful remembrance of those of Chesterville and District who gave their lives in supreme sacrifice.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13

At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.
(From For the Fallen by Robert Laurence Binyon)

Thomas McKay Plaque

A plaque commemorating Thomas McKay stands near the northeast corner of John Street and Sussex Drive, currently hidden by the leaves of the trees it stands between.

Thomas McKay

THOMAS McKAY 1792-1855

Born in Scotland, McKay emigrated to Canada about 1817 and worked as a mason in Montreal until 1826, when he began building the entrance locks of the Rideau Canal and the first bridge across the Ottawa River joining present day Ottawa and Hull. In 1829 McKay acquired land where the Rideau River met the Ottawa. Here he laid ou the village of New Edinburgh, and established an industrial complex which by 1848 included two sawmills, a grist-mill, woolen factory and distillery. In 1838 McKay build his residence, Rideau Hall, a two storey stone structure used after 1865 to house Canada's governors-general. Active in municiap and provincial politics, McKay sat on Bytown's first council (1828), represented Russell in the Legislative Assembly (1834-41), and served on the Legislative Council (1841-55).

Erected by the Ontario Heritage Foundation, Ministry of Culture and Recreation

THOMAS McKAY 1792-1855

Né en Ecosse, McKay émigre au Canada vers 1817 et devient maître-maçon à Montréal. En 1826, il construit les écluses d'accès au canal Rideau et le premier pont enjambant l'Outaouais entre Hull et Ottawa. En 1829, ill acquiert un terrain au confluent des rivières Rideau et Outaouais et fonde le village de New Edinburgh autour d'un complexe industriel qui comprend en 1848 deux sciereis, un moulin, une lainerie et une distillerie. En 1838, McKay se bâtit une superbe résidence en pierre, Rideau Hall, qui sert depuis 1865 à loger les gouverneurs généraux du Canada. Il siège au premier conseil municiapl de Bytown (1828), représente Russell à l'Assemblée législative (1834-1841) et accède au Conseil législatif (1841-1855).

Erigée par la Fondation du patrimoine ontarien, Ministère des Affaires culturelles et des Loisirs