Memorial Hall

Memorial Hall. . , As hostilities ceased in late 1918, Hamilton's leaders began to consider how to best honour the men of Hamilton who had given their lives in the Great War. The Hamilton Board of Education was the first group to finalize such a plan. They determined that a new school, containing a permanent record of those men, would be the ideal memorial. Construction began on October 21, 1918 and was completed on February 15, 1919. His Royal Highness, Edward, Prince of Wales, declared Memorial School officially opened on October 18, 1919., The true memorial aspect of the school was designed and unveiled in 1925. Decorated panels, naming each Canadian battle, surround the auditorium. Four of the entrances were named after famous Canadian soldiers. Sixteen bronze tablets, each bearing 132 names of those men from Hamilton who made the ultimate sacrifice, were placed around the auditorium. Across the top of the stage proscenium it reads "That our youth may ever remember the valiant men of Hamilton who died in the Great War, this school is a memorial"., On the evening of November 18, 1925 the Memorial Hall in Memorial School was officially dedicated by Venerable Archdeacon Robert John Renison. The guest of honour, General Sir Arthur Currie, spoke of the appropriateness of having a school as a memorial of the War., Hamilton's first Memorial to the Great War stands as "a torch that will burn up ignorance" and is a testament to the sacrifices that Hamilton made during World War I (1914-1919). , Sponsored by the Head-of-the-Lake Historical Society 2007 , Hamilton Historical Board 2007 , City of Hamilton