WWI memorial moved to Brookside Cemetery’s Field of Honour
Posted April 9, 2026 3:42 pm.
Last Updated April 9, 2026 6:31 pm.
A First World War memorial that once stood in downtown Winnipeg now has a new home at Brookside Cemetery’s Field of Honour, where thousands of veterans are laid to rest, and on Vimy Ridge Day, it was officially rededicated.
“This statue does not belong to anyone, organization, or government alone. It belongs to the people, to history, and to those who served,” said Shawn Nault, Minister of Red River Métis Veterans.
Vimy Ridge Day is marked every April 9, recognizing the 1917 battle often seen as a defining moment for Canada in the First World War. But that victory came at a cost, as roughly 3,600 Canadians were killed, and thousands more were wounded.
“Behind every number was a name. Behind every name a life, much like those honored here today,” said Gail Conrad Davey, provincial first vice-president, Royal Canadian Legion, Manitoba.
The statue itself dates back more than a century, built in 1923 by the Bank of Montreal to honour 231 of its employees who died in the war, and it’s modeled after a real Winnipeg soldier. The Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) helped lead Thursday’s ceremony, recognizing the contributions and sacrifices of Red River Métis veterans and all Indigenous people who served.
They say remembrance matters, especially for those who never made it home.
“It also represents a sacrifice of a community, the families left behind, the families who, unlike today, didn’t hear from others overseas for weeks, months on end,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham.
The memorial was relocated due to redevelopment and is now placed in Brookside Cemetery’s Field of Honour, where more than 10,000 veterans are buried, giving it a new setting, with even deeper meaning.
