Town, nation and empire : the memory and commemoration of the first world war in St. Marys, Ontario, 1918 - 1939

Abstract

St. Marys, a small town in southwestern Ontario, was like many other communities in the British Empire in its experiences remembering and commemorating the losses of the First World War. Analysis of the town’s memorial sites, the names on its cenotaph, and speeches at Armistice/Remembrance Day ceremonies unveil commonalities in St. Marys’ experience in remembering the conflict within Canada, Newfoundland, Britain, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand during the postwar period. The intimacy and disruption of the war is evident in the examples of those men whose names found their way onto the memorial despite having only briefly lived in St. Marys, or having never lived there at all. This demonstrates the impact of the war on ordinary Canadians. It also reveals jurisdictions seeking a newfound national identity within an imperial context, while local communities dealt with loss, sacrifice, and even a renewed duty to Empire.