Soldiers’ Tower has begun a $1.8 million restoration project expected to continue over the next four summers. The iconic structure, built in 1924, is a memorial to the 1,185 members of the University of Toronto who lost their lives during the two World Wars.
“The aim and objective of the Soldiers’ Tower Committee is to honour those who gave their lives in the service of Canada and to support those presently serving,” says Brigadier-General H.E. (Ted) Brown, a Woodsworth alumnus and WWII veteran. “Age and weather damage require periodic renovations such as those now taking place.”
This summer’s work focused on the stabilization of the two western pinnacles that were suffering from weathered mortar as a result of rain and snow. The mortar is being replaced and the pinnacles are going to be reinforced with steel.
“An assessment by ERA architects in 2006 determined that critical restoration is needed to the pinnacles […] and the upper masonry of the Tower,” said University Advancement representative Kathy Parks in an e-mail to The Varsity. “Among other things, the pinnacles have moved off-centre. The northwest pinnacle is the most affected. Some other repairs are needed to other areas of stone on the tower that have degraded or been damaged.”
The first stage of the project was expected to be completed by the end of August but has been delayed to September 24. The estimated budget for this stage of renovations is $260,000.
Construction scheduled for 2011 will include the dismantling and rebuilding of the two eastern pinnacles while 2012 and 2013 will focus on the lower reaches of the walls including the Tower arch.
The restoration efforts any of the engravings on the tower. Etchings of those lost during the Great War were previously damaged during past restoration efforts.
“… [the] lightening of the names resulted from a separate cleaning to remove dark staining of the entire wall and was recognized as a mistake after its completion,” says David Platt, the vice-chair of the Soldiers’ Tower Committee, in an e-mail to The Varsity.
Parks suggests that a graffiti incident several decades ago may have further impacted etchings on the Tower.
“… a student some decades ago spray painted graffiti on the Memorial Screen,” said Parks in an email to The Varsity. “We cleaned off the graffiti but the cleaning job made the names more difficult to read.”
The tower has had no major structural repairs for the past 85 years save for the selective replacement of sandstone masonry 10 and 40 years ago. After the current, multi-year restoration, no major structural repairs are expected to be completed for the next 85 years.
Soldiers’ Tower is the second tallest war memorial in Canada, after the Peace Tower in Ottawa. The 51-bell carillon is the only University-based carillon in Canada and is the site of the University’s annual Remembrance Day service.
“We promised there would be a place of honour for the fallen at U of T,” says Chair of the Soldiers’ Tower Committee Malcolm McGrath. “The Soldiers’ Tower is that place.”
The tower was originally built through a fundraising drive by the University of Toronto Alumni Association, which raised funds to build the tower and establish loans and scholarships for homecoming soldiers.
There will be free concerts held at the Soldiers’ Tower Sunday afternoons in September featuring reputed guest carillonneurs. A table will also be set-up at the UTSU Clubs Fair on September 10 where students can sign-up for the Carillon Training Program.
To learn more about the Soldiers’ Tower visit alumni.utoronto.ca.
