In the aftermath of World War I, a group of devoted citizens in Fredericton felt compelled to create a permanent tribute to honour the local lives lost in the war. Thus, the Fredericton War Memorial Committee was established, led by Mr. Justice O. Crocket, a judge on the Supreme Court of Canada and a former Member of Parliament for York-Sunbury. The committee’s goal was to make this concept a reality, culminating in the unveiling of the Fredericton Cenotaph on November 11, 1923. The monument was dedicated to the memory of the 109 soldiers from Fredericton who gave their lives in the First World War.

The Fredericton Cenotaph stands as a 14-foot high white granite column, engraved on all four sides with the names of the battles in which the soldiers participated. The column is anchored on a colossal 26-ton stone base, reputedly one of the largest pieces of cut granite in Canada. Over time, similar to cenotaphs nationwide, the Fredericton War Memorial expanded to incorporate inscriptions and names of the city’s soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in World War II and the Korean War.

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