On August 8th, 2021, the Dutch Canadian Club Edmonton dedicated the statue of Anne Frank. It is a replica of the 1960 sculpture by Dutch sculptor Pieter d’Hont which was the first statue of Anne Frank ever created. The unveiling ceremony was attended by Dutch representatives, veterans, public officials, and Jewish community members. It was live-streamed to the Netherlands, where a bell tolled for 2 minutes at the same time as Edmonton. Tulips and other flowers from the Netherlands surround the sculpture, and next to it are two informative plaques. The statue pays tribute to the Holocaust victims and Canada’s role in liberating the Netherlands from Nazi tyranny in 1945. Edmonton’s Light Horse Park is named after the South Alberta Light Horse Regiment, which fought during World War I and II. The park went through a makeover in 2011, intending to create a place for those who have been affected by war or conflict. Anne Frank (1929-1945) was a teenage girl when her family went into hiding following the Nazis’ invasion of the Netherlands. During that time, she documented her life in a notebook she got on her 13th birthday. In August 1944, the German police discovered them, sending them all to Auschwitz. Anne and her sister Martha died in a concentration camp only a few weeks before the war ended. Her father, Otto, was the only family member to survive. After the war, he returned to Amsterdam and received many papers a friend was able to save for him. Among them was Anne’s diary. In 1947, The Diary of a Young Girl was published and became one of the most famous depositions of life under the Nazi regime. Click here to see all the statues of Anne Frank in the world. Read more...

In her childhood neighborhood, close to where her family house once stood, stands a bronze bust and a blue plaque honoring the Toronto native Mary Pickford. Pickford was born in 1892 (later, she claimed she was born in 1893 or 1894) as Gladys Marie Smith, the eldest of three children. At four, her father passed away, and her mother struggled to provide for the family. At seven (some sources claim at the age of five), she started playing at Toronto’s Princess Theatre to help with the family income. She became a full-time actress, traveled, and performed in the US and Canada without ever having a childhood. In 1907, she received a role at a Broadway play and, following the advice of producer David Belasco, changed her name to Mary Pickford. 1909 was the beginning of her career as a silent film actress. She became America’s sweetheart and the first American celebrity. As one of the first film actresses, she was among the pioneers who developed acting techniques in this medium. Over the years, she became a producer and a businesswoman. She co-founded Pickford–Fairbanks Studios and United Artists and was one of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences founders. Even though she lived most of the time in the United States, Toronto was always in her heart; she occasionally visited the city and her childhood home, even after it was demolished and Hospital for Sick Children stood instead. On May 16th, 1983, Pickford’s widower, Buddy Rogers, and Toronto mayor, Art Eggleton, unveiled her bust and plaque that the Mary Pickford Foundation commissioned. Next to Pickford’s Bust, facing the entrance of Sick Kids Hospital lies the Endless Bench Monument. Lea Vivot sculpted and donated it to the hospital in memory of her son. The inscription on the bench reads: “The Endless Bench by Lea Vivot. Unveiled July 7th, 1984, in memory of her son Morris, July 7th 1977-October 18th, 1979, in appreciation of the excellent care received by him and countless others from the Hospital for Sick Children. May our children play in peace.” Nearby points of interest include the Textile Museum of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the South African War Memorial, and the Queen’s Park. Read more...

A life-size bronze statue of the famous Canadian author, Lucy Maud Montgomery, resides in the heart of a park in her honor in her hometown on Prince Eduard Island. Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) arrived in Cavendish as a toddler to live with her grandparents after her mother passed away. As a child living with the elderly, she spent many hours reading, writing and creating imaginary friends. When she was 16 years old, she published her first poem in the local newspaper, and by 23, she started publishing short stories in newspapers and magazines, reaching more than 100 publications in a decade. At 18, she attended Prince of Wales College for her teaching license, then Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to study literature, and worked as a teacher between both. At 24, she returned to Cavendish to support her widowed grandmother and work on her first novel Anne of Green Gables. Published in June 1908, the book was an instant best-seller, translated to over 36 languages, and adapted into dozens of movies, TV series, films, radio, stage, and web production, establishing Montgomery as a novelist and putting Prince Eduard Island on the world map. At 37, she married a Presbyterian minister and left Prince Eduard Island for Ontario. While raising her family, she continued writing and publishing. Overall, she published 20 novels, 500 poems, 530 short stories, and 30 essays during her lifetime. At 67, she passed away. Her final resting place is in the Cavendish Cemetery on Prince Edward Island (directly across the park). In 2019 the Cavendish Heritage Park was renamed Montgomery Park to commemorate Montgomery and celebrate the Founding Families of Cavendish and the Avonlea Women’s Institute. The Prince Eduard Island artist Grace Curtis designed the statue in 2019; it was sculptured and cast by British Columbia artist Nathan Scott. The statue, called A Glimpse of Beauty, depicts Montgomery in her late 20s when she lived in Cavendish and wrote Anne of Green Gables. It captures her in a moment of inspiration, or as she called this creative moment- “the Flash.” “Inspired by the beauty of nature, she lifts her head heavenward to take a deep breath, to take it all in; in part, a moment of joy, and in part, an acknowledgment of the gift of creativity she has been given” – Grace Curtis. The statue was unveiled on August 28th, 2019, by Montgomery’s granddaughter and in the presence of Princess Takamado of Japan. The park is the recommended first stop of The Inspiring World of L.M. Montgomery Literary Tour, which leads visitors to other L.M. Montgomery experiences, including Green Gables House and the new Green Gables Visitor Centre. Read more...

Among the fourteen heroines of the Valiants Memorial, which commemorates leading figures from the military history of Canada, is a life-size bronze statue of Laura Secord. The artists Marlene Hilton Moore and John McEwen created all the five sculptures and the nine busts of the memorial, and Governor-General Michaëlle Jean dedicated it on November 5th, 2006. Laura Secord (1775-1868) was an American-born loyalist who moved to Upper Canada following the American Revolution. On June 21st, 1813, in the amid of the War of 1812 (a territorial conflict between the US and the United Kingdom and its British North America allies), Secord heard of plans for a surprise American attack on the British troops at Beaver Dams, which if succeeded would have furthered the American control in the Niagara Peninsula. To pass on the information, she risked her own life and went on 17 hours and 20 miles walk from her home in Queenston to the British headquarters in Thorold Township. As a result of her bravery and determination, the British and their Mohawk allies defeated the Americans. During her lifetime, Secord barely received recognition for her actions. She became famous by the late 1880s when feminist activists used her story to illustrate women’s fortitude. Since then, it has become a legend in Canada inspiring various books, poems, plays, and another statue of her. Secord’s statue depicts her in the era’s clothing while walking the long way to deliver the intel and help win the war. The second statue that honors a woman in the Valiants Memorial is the bust of Georgina Pope (1862-1938), a notable nurse and the first Matron of the Canadian Army Medical Corps. Read more...

In the heart of the town that bears her family’s name stands a bronze statue of Elizabeth Simcoe, commissioned and unveiled in December 2007 for the 150th anniversary of the town’s establishment. It depicts Simcoe in 18th-century clothes, walking and holding her diary. On the rock behind her, statues portray the meeting of the Simcoes with the Objigway Chief, Great Sail, holding Francis Simcoe; the other side features the Georgina Church, circa 1796. Elizabeth Posthuma Gwillim Simcoe was born in England in 1762. She married John Graves Simcoe in 1782, and two years later, she purchased the Wolford estate near Honiton with her inheritance money. The Simcoes had 11 children, nine of whom lived to adulthood. In 1791, her husband got nominated as the first lieutenant governor of the new province of Upper Canada. The family sailed to the new world and arrived in Quebec City in November, where they spent the winter before continuing the inland journey to York (now Toronto). Simcoe started to record her adventures and life in the new world in her diary from the first days of the voyage. Simcoe traveled in Upper and Lower Canada and documented her surroundings, flora, fauna, and native peoples in her dairy alongside hundreds of watercolor paintings she drew. Her talent for painting and attention to detail enabled her to create maps for her husband and his crew members. After five years in Canada, her husband’s mission ended, and the family returned to their estate in Wolford. While the family prepared for relocation to India in 1806 due to her husband’s new position as commander-in-chief, he got ill and passed away several weeks later. Simcoe remained at Wolford with her seven daughters and occasionally conducted sketching trips to West Country and Wales. She passed away in 1850. She always said that the time she spent in Canada was the best years of her life. The first edition of her diary was published in 1911; a transcription appeared in 1965, and a paperback edition appeared at the start of the 21st century. It provided a lively, detailed record of life in Canada in the 1790s and is especially rare since was is told from a female point of view. Read more...

Resides in the original house of the Canadian heroine Laura Secord, Laura Secord Homestead is a historical museum that showcases the life, legacy, and bravery of Secord and provides a glimpse into the past. Laura Secord (1775-1868) was born in the colonial Province of Massachusetts Bay. In 1795, her family and other Loyalist refugees relocated to Queenston in Canada. There, she met and married James Secord and raised her seven children. During the War of 1812, in June 1813, the Americans occupied Fort George, Queenston, and the Niagara area. On June 21st, 1813, Secord overheard the American plan a surprise attack on the British troops at Beaver Dams. She left her homestead in Queenston for a 20 miles (32 km) walk to the British headquarters in Decew House, Thorold Township, to warn Lieutenant James FitzGibbon of the coming attack. Due to her intel, the British and their Mohawk allies were well prepared; they defeated the Americans and stopped them from entering Canada. Her bravery story only got recognized when she was 85 years old, in 1860, when the Prince of Wales visited Niagara Falls; he heard about her contribution to the victory in Beaver Dams and awarded her £100 for her service. She passed away at 93 years of age and was buried in the Drummondville Cemetery in Niagara Falls, next to her husband. In 1910, a monument that stands a 10-minute walk from the homestead was erected in her honor. She was named a ‘Person of National Historic Significance’ in 2003 and was honored with a statue at the Valiants Memorial in Ottawa (dedicated in 2006). The Laura Secord Candy Company restored the house and donated its original furniture in 1971. In 1998 they gifted it to Niagara Parks, and The Niagara Parks Commission has been managing it. A visit to the house with costumed interpreters will transport you back to the days that Laura, her husband, James, and their youngest child lived there (1803-1835). In addition to hearing about her life, you will hear about life in Canada during this era. Also at the museum are refreshments, ice cream, Laura Secord chocolates, and a selection of quality souvenirs. Special events such as desserts and crafts workshops take place occasionally. Do not miss the Laura Secord Walk that takes place annually in June. Read more...

In front of the French Union (in French – Union Française) building stands a bronze statue of the famous French heroine, Joan of Arc (In French Jeanne D’Arc), symbolizing the strong connection between Quebec and France. This sculpture is one of many copies created from the original statue by André Vermare, which was sculpted in 1909 for the Église St-Louis des Français in Rome for the celebrations of Joan of Arc beautification. Another copy of this statue was gifted by the union to the Notre-Dame Basilica in 1920 for her canonization celebration. Next to Arc’s statue stands the statue of Marianne, or the Republic, gifted by the French sculptor Paul Chevré. Joan of Arc (1412-1431) heard the voices of St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret since she was a little girl who lived in Domremy village. When she was 17, the divine visions instructed and guided her to help France recover from English rule, and she left her home to meet with the king and join the army. As the head of a relief army, she led the force towards victory in the battle of Orleans. Her additional accomplishments enabled Charles VII, the king of France, to be officially crowned king in Reims and led France to win the Hundred Years’ War. In May 1430, Joan of Arc was captured and sold to the English. At Rouen’s marketplace, she was burned alive after being found guilty of heresy and perjury in 1431. She was only 19 years old. After her death, she became a French national heroine and a symbol of bravery, persistence, determination, fearlessness, and leadership worldwide. She is also the only person in history who was both condemned and canonized by the Catholic Church and has the most statues in her honor. The French Union is an organization that has been working since 1886 to connect and support the French people in Quebec and promote and highlight French culture in all its forms. Read more...

In the garden of the Historic Leaskdale Church (the former St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church) stands the life-size bronze statue of the famous Canadian author, Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942). Montgomery came to live with her grandparents at Prince Eduard Island after her mother passed away when she was almost two years old. From a young age, she loved to read and write, and by 16 years of age, she started publishing her poetry and short stories in the local newspapers. Montgomery became a teacher and studied literature at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 1908 she published her first novel, Anne of Green Gables. At its center is a young red-haired orphan girl, Anne Shirley, who gets adopted by elderly siblings and comes to live on Prince Eduard Island. It quickly became a best-seller, translated to over 36 languages, and adapted into dozens of movies, TV series, films, radio, stage, and web productions, making Montgomery and Prince Eduard Island famous. In 1911, she married Ewen Macdonald, a Presbyterian minister, and left Prince Eduard Island following his assignment at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Leaskdale. There she wrote her 11 books from the Leaskdale manse and raised her children. In 1926, they moved to a new congregation in Norval, Ontario, and nine years later to Toronto. Her final resting place is in the Cavendish Cemetery on Prince Edward Island. During her lifetime, she became one of the most popular authors in the world and published 20 novels, 500 poems, 530 short stories, and 30 essays. In 2006, The Lucy Maud Montgomery Society of Ontario, which operates the Leaskdale Manse National Historic Site at Montgomery house, purchased the St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church to preserve and establish it as the L.M. Montgomery National Historic Site. In 2012, L.M.M.S.O launched the project to place a life-size bronze statue of Montgomery on the church grounds. The first statue of her in the world. They managed the fundraising and chose the local artist, Wynn Walters, to create it. On June 20th, 2015, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Elizabeth Dowdeswell, unveiled the sculpture in a special ceremony. In her statue, Montgomery sits on a bench in the garden, looking across the fields she loved, holding a book. After visiting the statue, explore the exhibition about Montgomery inside the church and pay a visit to Leaskdale Manse, Lucy Maud Montgomery Home, which nowadays is a museum dedicated to her legacy and showcases her life while living in Leaskdale. Read more...

A visit to the Bala’s Museum will take you back to Canada in the 1920s. The museum focuses on the famous Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery and her books but also showcases historical artifacts from the Muskoka region. The story behind the establishment of the museum started in 1990 when Linda and Jack Hutton honeymooned on Prince Eduard Island following Linda’s wish to visit the place where Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote Anne of Green Gables. There, they learned that Lucy Maud Montgomery spent her two-week holiday in Bala during the summer of 1922. Not only did Montgomery loved it, but she was also inspired to set there the only novel she set outside Prince Eduard Island, The Blue Castle in Muskoka. When they discovered that the Tree Lawn Tourist Home, where Montgomery ate her meals during her vacation, stands for sale, they bought it. After extensive restoration, on July 24th, 1992, the museum was opened. Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) set almost all of her books at Prince Eduard Island, where she grew up and lived most of her life. Her first novel Anne of Green Gables (published in 1908), became an immediate bestseller and brought her worldwide fame. It was adapted to any possible media type and translated into more than 36 languages. During her lifetime, she became one of the most popular authors in the world and published 20 novels, 500 poems, 530 short stories, and 30 essays. Montgomery’s books have created a travel industry, bringing local and foreign tourists to follow her landmarks across Canada, visiting the sets of the books and other locations related to her in Prince Eduard Island and Ontario, such as this museum. The Bala’s Museum showcases vintage furniture from the 1920s, unique copies of Montgomery’s books from different editions and different languages, dioramas from the novel Anne of Green Gables, the world’s biggest Anne of Green Gables dollhouse, and personal items of Montgomery, including a silver tea set gifted for her 1911 wedding, her correspondence basket, and excerpts from her diary during her visit to Bala. Kids can explore the museum wearing costumes, play in Anne’s school room, enjoy Anne’s tea party with Diana, and host Anne of Green Gable’s birthday party. While at the museum, make sure not to miss a visit to the gift shop that carries a vast collection of Anne’s souvenirs and Montgomery’s books. Read more...

A bronze statue of Charlotte Small with her husband and partner David Thompson stands in the heart of Pothole Park. The concrete base of the sculpture has four bronze reliefs depicting the following events: “Winter 1787 with the Peigans” “Columbia Discovered …1807” “At the mouth of the Columbia…July 1811” “Crossing Athabasca Pass…winter 1811” Another plaque states: “This is a millennium project of the Windermere District Historical Society. It has been achieved through the donations of many sponsors and many pioneer families. Unveiled July 18, 2003.” Small was born in 1799 to a Cree mother and Scottish father, who was a North West Company partner. He returned to Europe, leaving Small and her siblings with their mother. On June 10, 1799, at 13, she left home to marry David Thompson, a twenty-nine-year-old fur trader. Fluent in English, French, and Cree, a skilled hunter who knew how to survive in harsh conditions and find her way in the wild, Small became Thompson’s right hand and joined him in the expeditions while bearing and raising their five children. After Thompson retired from fur trading, the family relocated to the Montréal region. They renewed their marriage vows by a minister and welcomed eight more children into their family. They passed away within three months of each other in 1857 in Longueuil, Quebec. Small was one of many Aboriginal women who married European fur traders and contributed their skills, knowledge of the language, and culture. While Small and Thompson stayed together for 58 years, many other wives were abandoned by their husbands, who returned to Europe when their mission ended. Thompson got the acknowledgment of North America’s greatest geographer for his exploration and mapping of Canada. Charlotte’s skills and abilities allowed him to accomplish that. But she never received the same recognition as him. The Alberta sculptor Rich Roenisch insisted on including the statue of Small when he was commissioned to create Thompson’s statue. It was the first statue in Canada that commemorates her and honors her contribution. Read more...