Memorial Chamber is on the third floor of the Peace Tower. It is a room of gentle light built to honour Canadians who died in the armed conflicts in which Canada has fought since Confederation. While the tower was constructed by a nation grateful for peace, the Memorial Chamber testifies that the struggle for peace comes at the cost of human life.It was originally designed out of a response to the profound devastation wrought by the First World War. This monumental event created a need for a national memorial - a place of reflection and solace to remember the sacrifice of the many Canadians that fell in Europe between 1914 and 1918. Since, this memorial has grown to include the names of all Canadians who have died in military service in past and present conflicts.
When visitors pass through the door of the Chamber, the first thing they see is the Altar of Remembrance, resting on steps of stone. Because the Chamber's designers assumed that the memorial would commemorate an event unique in Canada's history, the First World War, they made the Altar the centerpiece and focal point of the room. Embedded in the floor around the Altar are brass nameplates identifying the major actions in which Canadians fought in the First World War.
the door of Memorial Chamber
the Altar of Remembrance
statuette of kneeling angel who is watching over the first Book of Remembrance
There are four of them beside each corner of glass-topped case.
the first Book of Remembrance
In it are inscribed the names of the 66,655 individuals who lost their lives in the First World War.
This book was completed in 1942.
The second Book of Remembrance listing 44,893 names was placed in the Chamber in 1957.
the Newfoundland Book of Remembrance
It honours the 2,363 Newfoundlanders who perished in the First and Second World Wars.
They are listed separately from the main books because Newfoundland did not join Confederation until 1949 - four years following the end of the Second World War.
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