Unveiling and Dedication of the Cenotaph, 1 July 1929

On Dominion Day, 1929, the largest number of citizens ever to gather at the Grand Parade witnessed the unveiling of Halifax’s memorial to her 1360 men and women who had died in the Great War and to all those who had served. Thousands lined the rails around the Parade and crowded into surrounding streets, even mounting roof tops seeking better vantage points.

A well-known Scottish sculptor, Massey Rhind, designed the cenotaph. At two minutes of 11 o’clock, a single gun sounded from Citadel Hill, followed by two minutes of respectful silence. Sir Robert Laird Borden, former prime minister, officially unveiled the memorial. The then Minister of National Defence, James Layton Ralston, who had commanded during the war the 85th Battalion, known as the Nova Scotia Highlanders, gave the oration.

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