Military Commemoration Plan for Canada’s Capital will proceed to public consultation

The Board of Directors of the National Capital Commission (NCC) agreed to proceed to public consultation on a Military Commemoration Plan for Canada’s Capital. The plan will now be made available to key stakeholders and the public before final approval in the fall of 2015.

In order to support the Capital Commemorations Policy led by the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Military Commemoration Plan lays out the urban design and site selection guidelines that will establish the unifying organizational principles for future military commemorations in the core of the Capital.

The plan is the first of three commemoration plans that the NCC will develop in consultation with the public. The second plan will be for social, cultural and scientific commemorations, and the third will encompass historical and political commemorations.

“This plan provides a long-term vision for military commemorations in Canada’s Capital, anchored by the symbolic and historically significant Memorial Route,’’ said Dr. Mark Kristmanson, Chief Executive Officer of the NCC. “It will guide the development of future commemorations in a way that is commensurate with Canada’s international stature.”

The plan proposes to concentrate future commemorations near the Canadian War Museum and Richmond Landing to complement the existing monuments at Confederation Square, Confederation Park and Green Island. The Plan reinforces the primacy of the National War Memorial as the most prominent memorial in the Capital.

The plan aims to provide:

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a formal setting for ceremonies and special events;

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a sequence of interpretive routes that link various sites and focal places of military significances and commemoration;

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an expanded range of potential sites for future commemorations as well as guidance on the selection process;

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and a connection between national symbols such as Confederation Square, Parliament Hill, and the Canadian War Museum.

The NCC will now further consult with veterans associations, key federal partners and other stakeholders, and will seek comments from the public via its website before submitting the plan to its Board for final approval in fall 2015.