Monday Monuments and Memorials – Plus jamais la guerre – Monument à la paix et au souvenir, Gatineau, QC

April 4, 2022 by greatwar100reads 1 Comment

WAR NEVER AGAIN – Monument to Peace and Remembrance, Gatineau, Quebec

A war memorial for the City of Hull, Quebec (now Gatineau) was first conceived in the 1930s, but not dedicated until 11 November 1992. Plus jamais la guerre – Monument à la paix et au souvenir (War Never Again – Monument to Peace and Remembrance) stands at the NE corner of boul Alexandre Taché and boul St-Joseph, in front of the Salaberry Armoury. The concrete, steel and granite monument bears a double message: remembering those who suffered because of war, and seeking peace and harmony for the future.

WAR NEVER AGAIN

In tribute to the men, women and children of Hull who suffered because of these wars

1914 – 1918, 1939 – 1945, 1950 – 1953

“They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old, age shall not weary them, nor their years condemn, at the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.”

May our collective memory strive for a future of peace.

Dedicated on November 11, 1992 by Mrs. Ghislaine Chénier, Acting Mayor of the City of Hull, in the presence of the Honourable Marcel Masse, Minister of National Defence, Mr. Gaston Garceau, Immediate National Past President of the Royal Canadian Legion and the members of the Hull Branch (Québec 30).

PLUS JAMAIS LA GUERRE

En hommage aux hommes, aux femmes et aux enfants hullois qui ont souffert à cause des guerres.

1914 – 1918, 1939 – 1945, 1950 – 1953

« Ils ne vieilliront pas comme nous, qui leur avons survécus, ils ne connaîtront jamais l’outrage ni le poids des ans, quand viendra l’heure du crépuscule et celle de l’aurore nous nous souviendrons d’eux. »

Que notre mémoire collective oeuvre à une volonté de paix pour l’avenir. 

Inauguré le 11 novembre 1992 par madame Ghislaine Chénier, mairesse par intérim de la Ville de Hull, en la présence de l’honorable Marcel Masse, ministre de la Défense nationale, monsieur Gaston Garceau, président national sortant de la Légion royale canadienne et les membres de la filiale de Hull (Québec 30).

Denis G Massie, the landscape architect selected to design the monument, describes the monument:

His inspiration, carved on one of the walls: “Drawing inspiration from the themes of convergence and progression, this monument aims to illustrate the search for peace as the goal towards which all peoples and nations must strive.” / « La conception de ce monument s’inspire des thématiques de la convergence et de la progression a fin d’illustrer la recherche d’un objectif commun de paix vers lequel doivent tendre les êtres et les nations. »

A further description, on Massie’s website: “Six converging wall sculptures embody the progression towards this common goal. It is reinforced symbolically by the use of three basic materials (concrete, steel and granite stone) in varying proportions, channeled in an upward movement. The centerpiece of the Monument is a sphere, representing the Earth of course, but also completeness.”