Does Cape Breton Island’s National Park need a towering 10-storey-high war memorial statue nicknamed Mother Canada the size and style of the famous Christ the Redeemer figure of Rio de Janiero? Toronto businessman Tony Trigiani thinks so, and he’s convinced Canada’s Conservative government to back his plan to build it by July 1, 2017 in time for Canada’s 150th anniversary. Problem is, few outside the Tory cabinet and the military seem to share their enthusiasm.
One of the many components of a large war memorial planned for the Highlands National Park on Cape Breton Island is a statue called “Mother Canada” (Never Forgotten National Memorial Foundation)
Trigiani, the President of Norstar Corp., a food packaging company, is also the President and CEO of the Never Forgotten National Memorial Foundation specifically established to raise between $25 and $60 million to build the statue in Green Cove on the widely acclaimed Cabot Trail. As the story goes, Mr. Trigiani was so moved by war memorials to Canada’s fallen soldiers that he had a vision of a woman reaching her arms to Europe – specifically France, the location of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.
MISCONCEIVED MEMORIAL
Opposition to the plan is building as people in Nova Scotia and beyond learn the details. While some believe that Canada does not need yet another memorial to those killed in war, given sites like Vimy and the National War Memorial in Ottawa, others find it hypocritical that Stephen Harper’s government, known for warring with its own veterans, is backing a memorial to those who died in battle.
And then there’s the recognition of corporate and individual sponsors. According to the Never Forgotten Foundation website, in the Interpretation Centre planned for the site, “Founders Hall will recognize members of the Founders Club and other generous individuals and organizations who contribute to the creation of the Never Forgotten National Memorial. Naming rights located throughout the Founders Hall and other special areas of the Interpretive Centre will also recognize the contributions of project partners and other major donors.” Even some of those in favour of the project find it objectionable that corporate and others sponsors will receive as much visibility and recognition as the dead thus memorialized.
AESTHETICS
But most of the opposition seems to fall into two broad categories, concerns about a flawed process and about aesthetics or the destruction of natural beauty by the construction of a manmade monstrosity. In an online discussion about the project, Nova Scotians made comments like these:
“Profoundly moving in all the worst possible ways.”
“The wrong memorial in the wrong place. I don’t object necessarily to a memorial for those that have sacrificed their lives for Canada, but leave the beauty of the Cabot Trail alone.”
“Surely no reasonable person could perceive a pristine coastal area in a national park to be an appropriate setting for an American-style colossus such as this!”
“What a blight on the landscape it would be.”
Most who speak against the project are vehemently opposed to the location. Green Cove is a pristine outcrop of pink granite in Highlands Park along the Cabot Trail. The island, the trail and the site have all been recognized internationally as places of significant natural beauty, National Geographic Traveler placing Cape Breton Island second on a scorecard of over 100 of the world’s greatest destinations for sustainable tourism. One would assume that such a designation will be very difficult to earn in future if the monument is built.
CPAWS (the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society) says in a policy statement released in December, 2014 that it is “deeply concerned” about the project. The statement went on to explain “The proposed Mother Canada statue is very large and is not appropriate for the park. It is imposing on the landscape and conflicts with the beautiful natural aesthetic of the Green Cove site. Proposed associated facilities also expand the footprint on the site, including parking lots and an interpretive facility.”
FLAWED PROCESS
As for the process, the whole project seems to have come about in secret with an official announcement in the summer of 2013 by the Canadian government. By the fall of that year, Parks Canada CEO Alan Latourelle wrote to Trigiani supporting the project and saying in his letter that the memorial will be “an exceptionally striking and appropriate addition to Cape Breton Highlands National Park,” this before any public consultation on the project or any assessment of its impact on the Park or the site.
The CPAWS statement says of the process, “Wide-scale consultation is normal in Parks Canada’s park management processes, and is required for park management plans. Remarkably, in this instance there does not appear to have been any public consultation prior to the announcement by Parks Canada that the Mother Canada statue is moving ahead.” The statement goes on to conclude that this whole debacle is unnecessary. “In Nova Scotia, there are no shortages of coastal sites facing eastward that might be more appropriate than Green Cove.“
While it doesn’t appear that the Harper government or Tony Trigiani are prepared to compromise on the project or its location and Parks Canada has already given the green light for this project, they have opened a small window to solicit public opinion. Fill out the survey here. In addition, a group of concerned Canadians called Friends of Green Cove has launched a website to voice opposition to the location of Green Cove as the home for Mother Canada. For more information, visit: Friends of Green Cove
Photo Credit
Photo is from Never Forgotten National Memorial
Bullying is what Parks Canada and the NFNM are doing. They have taken possession of public property and won’t let it go, guided by both their arrogance and their disdain towards Nature of which they obviously do not appreciate the beauty. If this ugly gigantic monster forced upon us and all the profit making units around it are built and hide and deface Green Cove, the whole Park will have lost its pristine quality. Then Cape Breton can forget its title, -of which we were so proud- given by the National Geographic Tourism Magazine of the best island in the world to visit for its peaceful quality. We are sure to lose that title because it will completely take away the whole serenity of the park. We were warned of that possibility. A terrible loss business wise.
Strong words, Christiane. As a travel writer, I’m inclined to agree with those of you who believe that Cape Breton is at threat to lose its distinction as a place where wilderness experiences are interrupted only by human scale, historic towns and villages. Not to mention the possibility that it might actually become a sort of laughing stock or the target of jokes if this project proceeds.
Ridiculous on so many levels. I am from a military family so I have no problem with the concept of honouring soldiers sacrificed in wars Canada has been involved with nor with memorializing their involvement. However, the outrageous size and placement of this colossal aesthetic monstrosity in a national park boggles the mind. And who exactly is ‘Mother Canada’? Good grief. Hoping common sense prevails.
Good to hear the perspective of someone from a military family with obvious reasons to support the recognition of soldiers and others who died in wars. That you still believe this is the wrong memorial in the wrong place says a great deal about the extent to which this effort is misguided. Thanks for voicing your opinion, Su.
This is a ridiculous concept. Certainly such a memorial would be better suited in Halifax where the soldiers actually departed from? I do not have a problem with the proposed location, but I don’t live there. I am not a stake holder. That stake holders are raising concerns should be an issue. I would also suspect the disruption to the local ecology via disruption of the thin layer of topsoil by construction crews and concentrated foot traffic by visitors will be catastrophic to the local flora and thus the food web. This would seem counter to the purpose of this particular park. I return to my first 2 sentences. There is no justifiable reason to place this monument in this location.
Wrong location and for so many reason, I totally agree, Graham. Wrong location for ecological reasons, for aesthetic reasons, even for reasons of properly acknowledging the departure point for so many Canadians who died in European wars. Wrong location from the point of view of the use of public lands, the purpose of National Parks, the rights of private citizens and organizations to dictate what happens where. All wrong.
Thanks Colleen. Appropriate scale is one of the primary issues here, as it is and should be in the design of any project. Even if the project was a good idea and even if it belonged in Green Cove, which it doesn’t, the decision on scale seems to have sprung from the mind of a businessman, not from that of a design firm which would have been far less arbitrary and clumsy with the design of the site and the statue.
I share the conceptual, aesthetic and process concerns. But to me the main issue here is the private takeover of public lands initiated, not by an artistic vision or a widely held desire to commemorate an event of local or national significance, but by a private person, from the private sector who wants to use public land. The worst part is that the public land was granted to this private cause with nary a hint of public input or due process. This is the thin edge of the wedge too. There are three monument projects in progress for Ottawa on public land and with extensive public funding. Descriptions here: http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1396266083257. They still rely on extensive private and corporate contributions. But at least they have been through the Department of Canadian Heritage process and public competitions for the designs and presumably, like other national monuments, “naming rights” will not be given in exchange for donations. When it comes to “Mother Canada” there is very little mention anywhere on the GC website. I’m confident that it if went through a peer selection process based on artistic merit, it would probably not get supported. But it is not a transparent process… how they are giving our public land away to a private enterprise. And that is a big worry.
Thanks for the comment Pat. I totally agree with your concern. The odd thing about this project is that is offensive and of concern for so many equally disturbing reasons. The giving over of public lands for private use is one of many major reasons to object to this project.
Honour the fallen by helping the veterans . It is as simple as that !
People should also understand that even though those in charge of building this monstrosity say it will be privately funded … Peter McKay has said publicly that it is a ” public /private ” proposal .
If they do not have enough money from private donations …. Guess who will pay then ???
Thanks for the comment, Kay. Consideration of what’s best for veterans is yet another discussion sparked by this project. That a private business owner can make that decision is one of the most disturbing things about Mother Canada.
The Greatest Mother is Mother nature – so how can we honor the dead through destruction ? How can the destruction of national park land [ which actually belongs to the PEOPLE, not the individuals in Govt] be an honor to those who have died ? If we as a nation want a space on the Cabot trail to honor those who have given their lives, believing in freedom [ not much freedom here regarding this decision so the irony is overwhelming ], let us instead bring life – create a garden of remembrance that attracts wildlife , butterflies and encourages more native species – not concrete and corporate billboards, the continuation of LIFE , as isn’t that wars are supposed to be fought for so that people can be free and life continue? Seems perhaps Nova Scotia is too pristine and beautiful for some, so there is a desire to poison it with corporate signs and egos. Those who gave their lives will never be forgotten, not because great concrete statues are built, but because, their legacies live on in the people, and sadly there are so many still dying in wars, we will never forget. lets honor WITH LIFE NOT MORE DESTRUCTION. Rita
Thanks, Rita and Phil. Many share your concern. Interested to note that geologists have named Green Cove as being a highly significant geological formation, and that this project will destroy it by covering it with tons of concrete and burying it beneath the planned developments. Here’s another angle. A women’s group has come out against the project, objecting to the use of the figure of a woman for the statue. They express concern that the nurturing nature of a mother is being abused to glorify war. Interesting angle.
Why don’t they build a small ( human size statue ) and take all the rest of the money they would have spent on the GIANT ONE and give it to an worthy cause like helping our veterans, or put it back into education or research Alzheimer’s or…..