Stratford in Perth County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

The Stratford War Memorial

Photographed by Tim Boyd, May 28, 2026

1. The Stratford War Memorial Marker

Inscription. This magnificent sculpture by Walter S. Allward (1875-1955) depicts the supremacy of right over brute force and was unveiled on 6 November 1922 to honour the soldiers from Stratford and surrounding counties who fell in the First World War. It was designed in 1921 as Allward prepared the models for the towering and majestic Canadian monument at Vimy Ridge in France. Both sculptures show the same dedication to technique, to inventive composition, and to the use of classical figures in dramatic settings. The upright figure, representing spiritual man, turns his back on the parting figure of brute force, “They broke the sword and brought peace to our land” is inscribed on the base. The sculpture was commissioned by Stratford's War Memorial Committee (Wiliam Preston, Chair) in 1920. Civic leader and committee member R. Thomas Orr championed the project and Allward’s poignant , powerful vision for it. Walter S. Allward, long considered one of Canada’s greatest artists, was designated by Canada as a “Person Of National Historic Significance in 2002.

Topics. This historical marker and memorial is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • War, World I. A significant historical year for this entry is 1921.

Location. 43° 22.327′ N, 80° 58.961′ W. Marker is in Stratford, Ontario, in Perth County

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. It is at the intersection of York Street and Erie Street, on the left when traveling east on York Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 30 York St, Stratford ON N5A 1A1, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker and memorial is in the Huron-Perth-Waterloo-Wellington Area

and in Southwestern 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 are within walking distance of this marker: The Saving of the Stratford Parks (a few steps from this marker); Stratford’s Furniture Industry (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); The Bandshell (about 150 meters away); The Founding of Stratford / La Fondation de Stratford (about 180 meters away); The Dutch Memorial Garden (about 210 meters away); Stratford City Hall / L’hôtel de Ville de Stratford (about 240 meters away); City Hall (about 240 meters away); Knox Presbyterian Church (about 240 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Stratford.

Also see . . . Walter S. Allward (Art Canada Institute).

For Allward, the path to becoming a sculptor was unconventional. He attended Dufferin School on Berkeley Street in the mainly working-class district of St. David’s Ward until he was fourteen, when he began helping his father with carpentry work. Although economic considerations were likely a factor, Allward later stated, “I was never a scholar. I always liked better to do things with my hands than to study.”

(Submitted on June 3, 2026, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario.)

The Stratford War Memorial image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, May 28, 2026

2. The Stratford War Memorial

Photographed by Tim Boyd, June 3, 2026

3. The Stratford War Memorial

Credits. This page was last revised on June 3, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 3, 2026, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 3, 2026, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.