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rfmcdonaldThis statue of Winston Churchill stands on the neglected southwest corner of Nathan Philips Square, in front of Toronto City Hall. The Churchill Society describes the statue's origins succinctly.
Churchill, for the record, seems to have thought fondly, if in passing, of Toronto and Canada
Appropriately enough, there used to be a Speaker's Corner by the statue, a podium donated by City Hall where anyone could stand and orate. Perhaps worryingly, as documented by the blog Toronto City Life this August, Speaker's Corner disappeared without anyone noticing.
Donated to the City of Toronto by the late Harry Jackman in 1977, it is made from the original mould of a work by the eminent sculptor Oscar Nemon that stands in the Members Lobby in the British House of Commons. At the unveiling of the original statue, Oscar Nemon said: “I was trying to express an idea of impatience and hurry, of a man wanting to see something done.”
[. . .]
You cannot be blamed if you have lived in Toronto all your life and have never seen the massive statue of Sir Winston Churchill. While the imposing figure watches over passers-by, few take the time from their busy day to glance north and notice the Great Man looking out at them.
In 2002 members of the Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy and our friends at the International Churchill Society, Canada began raising funds to improve the beauty and accessibility of this public space – and to improve its relevance for future generations. The City of Toronto was approached and they came to share the vision of what this memorial could be. New benches were added and the grounds were improved.
Churchill, for the record, seems to have thought fondly, if in passing, of Toronto and Canada
Appropriately enough, there used to be a Speaker's Corner by the statue, a podium donated by City Hall where anyone could stand and orate. Perhaps worryingly, as documented by the blog Toronto City Life this August, Speaker's Corner disappeared without anyone noticing.
