Green Island in Ottawa, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae (1872-1918)

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 12, 2024

1. Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae (1872-1918) Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

John McCrae was a Canadian poet, gunner and physician who participated in the First World War. In May 1915, he was moved to write the well-known poem "In Flanders Fields" following the death of comrades during the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium. McCrae's poem came to symbolize the sacrifice of all who fought and died in the First World War and is the inspiration for the poppy as the symbol of remembrance in Canada and in other countries.

This statue was erected on May 3, 2015, by The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Medical Service and with support from the Government of Flanders.

Artist: Ruth Abernethy

Poète canadien, artilleur et médecin, John McCrae a servi pendant la Première Guerre mondiale. En mai 1915, à la suite de la mort de camarades survenue durant la deuxième bataille d'Ypres, en Belgique, il a écrit le célèbre poème In Flanders Fields. Ce dernier est devenu le symbole du sacrifice de tous ceux et celles qui ont combattu et ont perdu la vie pendant la Première Guerre mondiale et il est à l'origine de l'adoption du coquelicot comme symbole du souvenir, utilisé au Canada et dans d'autres pays.

Cette statue a été érigée le 3 mai 2015 par le Régiment royal de l'Artillerie canadienne, en collaboration avec le Service de santé royal canadien et grâce au soutien du gouvernement flamand.

Artiste: Ruth Abernethy

Erected 2015

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by The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery and Royal Canadian Medical Service, with support from the Governments of Flanders and Canada.

Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Patriots & Patriotism • Science & Medicine • War, World I. In addition, it is included in the In Flanders Fields series list. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1915.

Location. 45° 26.407′ N, 75° 41.777′ W. Memorial is in Ottawa, Ontario. It is on Green Island. It is on Sussex Drive (County Highway 93), on the right when traveling south. Monument is in Rideau Falls Park. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 111 Sussex Drive, Ottawa ON K1N 1J1, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial is in Eastern Ontario.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers

Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae (1872-1918) Marker and Statue image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 12, 2024

2. Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae (1872-1918) Marker and Statue

are within walking distance of this marker: National Artillery Memorial/Monument national aux artilleurs (a few steps from this marker); The 25 Pounder, QF, Gun (a few steps from this marker); WWII British Commonwealth/Empire Air Forces Honored Dead in Canada and the United States of America (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); The Ottawa Memorial/Le Monument commémoratif d'Ottawa (about 90 meters away); Spain Remembers/L'Espagne se souvient/España no os olvida (about 90 meters away); Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion/Le bataillon Mackenzie-Papineau (about 90 meters away); The Canadian Role in the Defense of Hong Kong (about 150 meters away); Dr. Harold (Harry) Jennings (about 180 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ottawa.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.

Also see . . .
1. In Flanders Fields (Royal British Legion). (Submitted on October 21, 2024, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. John McCree. Valour Canada website entry (Submitted on August 24, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae (1872-1918) Sculpture image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 12, 2024

3. Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae (1872-1918) Sculpture

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., October 12, 2024

4. Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae (1872-1918) Sculpture

Credits. This page was last revised on August 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 21, 2024, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 171 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 21, 2024, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.