ONTARIO POLICE MEMORIAL
Title: The Ontario Police Memorial
Artist(s):
Date: 2000
Latitude: 43.66237
Longitude: -79.38979
VISUAL ANALYSIS :
The Memorial consists of two bronze statues depicting a male officer in duty dress from around 1950-1990 and a female officer in modern duty dress. The statues are mounted atop a large granite pedestal base and at the feet of the statues are eight cascading granite walls. The four walls on either side of the main pedestal form a horseshoe shape, while the names of all known fallen officers are inscribed upon the Wall of Honour. The pose of the male officer with his arm extended connects the viewer with the statue and makes him seem welcoming. The female officer has her arm bent and carries her hat in her hand, indicating that she is not directly on duty though her upright pose that matches her partners shows she is alert and ready. There is a strong sense of responsibility in their postures and there is no contrapposto present here that gives a relaxed, naturalistic look. The officers’ rigidity and the presence of a full uniform make the officers out to be eternally on duty, just like the officers who died while in uniform. The historical differences in the uniforms depicted is a sign of timelessness and how although the uniform may change, the spirit behind each serving officer does not. The features of the officers are both serious, yet they still remain youthful in appearance and therefore friendly. This allows the viewer to feel more empathy for those who died on duty, as most police officers are men and women in their prime years who should be enjoying all the vitality of youth. It is tragic that they have departed so early, but it is also the highest form of honour to die in service of one’s people and country. As a result, the viewer is urged to view the young police officers around them in a new light and to gain a new form of respect for those who value justice over their own lives.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION:
The Ontario Police Memorial is a dedication to all of the uniformed men and women who devoted their lives to their communities and paid the ultimate sacrifice. The names of all of the known officers in Ontario's history are inscribed behind the main statue, upon the Wall of Honour. Also, "Heroes in Life, Not Death" is written on the memorial to recognize not only the fallen officers, but to remind everyone of the police officers who risk their lives everyday to help uphold the motto, "to protect and to serve", and thus, deserve the gratitude of those they serve now, while they are still with us. To further honour the memory of Ontario's fallen officers, the annual Ceremony of Remembrance is held at the memorial each year on the first Sunday of May. The memorial was funded by the Ontario Government through a grant and was officially unveiled on Sunday, May 7th. 2000 by the Lieutenant Governor at the time, Hilary Weston in conjunction with former Premier of Ontario, Mike Harris. The memorial is located in downtown Toronto, on the corner of Grosvenor street and Queen's Park Crescent, near Queen's Park and just a minute away from the Ontario Legistlature building and the Toronto Police Service Headquarters.
CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
The Ontario Police Memorial is managed by the Ontario Police Memorial Foundation, a charity foundation that was formed by Ontario's police associations: the Ontario Provincial Police Association, the Toronto Police Association, the Ontario Senior Officer's Police Association, and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police. The foundation is responsible for the management of the memorial, including the somber task/responsibility of adding new names of officers who have fallen in the line of duty to the memorial. The foundation is also responsible for hosting the annual remembrance ceremony. As of current, there are 40 names of various fallen officers (both male and female) throughout the years, ranging from the 1800's to our current years. The foundation needs to raise money just like any other charity organization in order to cover the maintenance costs for the memorial, including the cost of adding new names as well as costs for the ceremony. The ceremony initiated and maintained a long standing tradition that shows respect, support and compassion to the deceased and their loved ones. The ceremony usually gathers a large amount of police officers, firefighters and emergency workers when one of their own are killed on the job. The memorial and the ceremony around it allow for the respect and appreciation of these brave men and women that we call heroes.
