Overview
Address
CPR Station Vancouver BC
Neighbourhood
Downtown
type
Other
Significance
O: Other
Description
Installed in 1921, this bronze sculpture by Montreal artist Coeur de Lion MacCarthy is one of three identical sculptures installed in Canada. Commissioned by the Canadian Pacific Railway to mark the more than 1,100 CPR employees who perished during World War I, the statues were placed near CPR landmarks. Vancouver’s sits outside of Waterfront Station.
The others are in Winnipeg (installed 1922) and Montreal (installed 1923). The dates of World War II were later added on plaques attached to each statues base.
“Winged Victory”, also referred to as “Angel of Victory”, was considered one of the most evocative memorial sculptures, depicting an angel carrying a deceased soldier to heaven at the moment of his death.
While all three statues were cast identically, the Vancouver statue has its own mark of history. In the 1960s concerned citizens attempted to clean what they thought was dirt off the statue, as they felt its state was disrespectful. The “dirt” was actually natural patina that occurs on bronze over time. The scratch marks from their cleaning tools can still be seen.
Source
Vancouver Heritage Foundation post on Spacing Vancouver 2014
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