| Coronation Park | |
|---|---|
 View of Victory Peace Monument | |
  Location of Coronation Park in Toronto | |
| Type | Urban park,Memorial |
| Coordinates | 43°37′59″N79°24′22″W / 43.633171°N 79.406157°W /43.633171; -79.406157 |
| Area | 9 acres (3.6 ha) |
| Created | 1937 (1937) |
| Owned by | City of Toronto |
| Operated by | Toronto Parks, Forestry & Recreation |
Coronation Park is a park and veteran's memorial inToronto, Ontario, built to markthe coronation of KingGeorge VI in 1937. Most trees are planted to honour the Canadian men and women who participated in theFirst World War and earlier wars, while others commemorate subsequent coronations ofCanadian monarchs. Constructed on landfill on the shore ofLake Ontario during theGreat Depression, many workers on relief were used. The park also has the Victory-Peace monument, located at the water's edge. To the east isHMCSYork, the naval barracks; to the north isFort York and theFort York Armoury; and, to the west, isExhibition Place, once the site ofNew Fort York.
TheToronto Harbour Commission regularly dredged the bottom ofToronto Harbour to keep it at navigation depth. In exchange for themunicipal government of Toronto paying for navigation improvements, the Commission deposited six acres (2.4 ha) of sand along the lakeshore, at the foot of Strachan Avenue, to 1,000 feet (300 m) east, between the existing seawall and shoreline, and the city would take possession of the new land for park purposes. TheCA$112,000 ($2.29 million in 2023 dollars)[1] project was approved by theToronto Board of Control in December 1934.[2]
Construction began in the spring of 1935. One of the project's objectives was to provide work to unemployed workers on welfare; Toronto was suffering through the Great Depression at the time, with 23 per cent of the population on relief.[3] Seventy-five per cent of the workers were registered with the Department of Public Welfare.[2] The park's construction was hard labour; While steam shovels did the dredging, the soil was moved by wheelbarrow. One worker collapsed and three horses died during the process.[4]
The park was completed in time for the planting of trees on May 12, 1937, the day ofKing George VI's coronation, which was a public holiday in Toronto.[5] Some trees commemorate each regiment of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces in theFirst World War and one—the King's Oak, or Royal Oak—is forCanada's monarch andcommander-in-chief at the time, KingGeorge VI.[6] All the trees are arranged in rings aroung the King's Oak; the innermost ring of oak trees, known as theEmpire Circle, represents Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the Crown Colonies, while on either side of the ring, to the east and west, are separate groves of maple trees representing the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Canadian divisions, Siberian troops, and Corp Troops. At north, the Imperial Service triangle of trees represents theRoyal Canadian Navy,Royal Canadian Air Force, andCanadian Army and the Corps Troops trees remember Canadian nursing sisters and veterans of theSecond Boer War, theNorth-West Rebellion, and theFenian Raids of 1866. A total of 144 trees were donated by the Toronto chapter ofMen of the Trees.[5] A member of that group, F.E Robson, along with Thomas Hobbs and Andrew Gillespie of the Toronto Ex-Serviceman's Coronation Committee, conceived of planting trees as a memorial.[7] The idea was approved by Toronto Board of Control and the Coronation Park Advisory Committee supervised details of the plantings.[5] Hobbs died in service in 1940 and a small cairn in his memory was placed in the park.[8]
One year later, on August 1, as part of a large reunion of First World War veterans, each tree had a granite stone and plaque installed next to it,[9] each describing the regiment the tree represented.[10] The plaque for the Royal Oak, planted by Justice John A. Hope, was unveiled by SirWilliam Mulock, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ontario.[11] Veterans also donated park benches in 1938.[12]
During theroyal tour of Canada by King George VI andQueen Elizabeth in 1939: a tree was planted for every public and separate school in Toronto, resulting in 123 maples being set along Remembrance Drive, each placed as theroyal car passed by.[13] Another 20 trees were planted on the occasion of the2010 G20 Toronto summit.[8]
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In honour ofthe coronation of KingCharles III on May 6, 2023, as well as the King's commitment to environmental protection, the city planted another oak tree in Coronation Park, beside which is a plaque displaying theCanadian coronation emblem.Lieutenant Governor of OntarioElizabeth Dowdeswell and Deputy Mayor of TorontoJennifer McKelvie performed the ceremonial planting and sprinkledtobacco around the tree at the ceremonial planting, signifying the connection of people to nature and one another, Charles' belief in the connection of people to the land and water, and therelationship between Canada's Crown and indigenous peoples.[14]
Coronation Park was twice threatened by redevelopment plans: During the design stages of theGardiner Expressway, it was suggested thatOld Fort York be moved to Coronation Park. This was opposed by a coalition of veterans' groups and historical societies.[15] In 1971, the idea of expandingExhibition Place, turning the park into a new location for the midway amusements and rides, was floated. Veterans' and labour organizations successfully stopped the proposal.[15]
A permanent memorial was designed by John McEwan[16] and erected by the Second World War 50th Anniversary Memorial Tribute Committee in 1995, the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Named theVictory-Peace Monument, it stands at the water's edge, in a small clearing south of the grove of trees. The monument is formed like anamphitheatre, with a ring of concrete steps around a brick-paved circle, at the centre of which is a black-tinted concrete pad. At its middle is a brass disk, 5.6 metres (18 ft) in diameter, inscribed with the words1939 1945 PEACE and the wordpeace in other languages. Six of the surrounding steps have black granite blocks approximately 60 centimetres (24 in) by 67 centimetres (26 in), each being etched with words or artwork relevant to the war. On a platform at the south are also a set of bronze walls, formed like a ship's prow and bearing artwork depicting Canada's involvement in the Second World War. Between these is a maple leaf cast into the concrete and engraved with the wordSacrifice.[17] Just to the east is a tall flagpole with a victory garden planted around its base.[18]
The piece was dedicated byGovernor GeneralRoméo LeBlanc on November 14, 1995.[19] It was then rededicated by Dowdeswell, Mayor of TorontoJohn Tory, and members of theCanadian Armed Forces on November 10, 2018,[20] the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.[21]
The memorial was restored beginning in 2018, using funds from a government of Canada program to refurbish cenotaphs and memorials across the country, the City of Toronto, and private sources.[20] The first phase restored the area of the King's Oak and the Empire Circle.[22] Phase two took place in 2019 and restored the maple grove and pathways, along with the addition of signage.[22]
The park has threebaseball diamonds, which are used during non-winter months for informal softball and baseball leagues.[23] During theCanadian National Exhibition, the diamonds are used for theLions Club Pee-Wee Tournament for youth players. During the winter, an outdoor ice rick is built and used informally forice hockey. Coronation Park also has an off-leash area for dogs and a clubhouse.[23] Between two of the diamonds is Coronation Park Pavilion, built in 1995, which has washrooms, lockers, and showers for the users of the diamonds.[24]
Remembrance Drive extends through the park, along the northern boundary of the tree groves. TheMartin Goodman Trail extends through the park, along the water's edge.
