Lime Ridge Monument Travel Guide

The Lime Ridge Monument, also known as the Canadian Volunteers Monument, stands as a poignant reminder of Toronto's history. Located on the University of Toronto campus, west of Queen's Park Crescent, it commemorates the Toronto militia volunteers who lost their lives in the Battle of Ridgeway on June 2, 1866. These volunteers were fighting against Irish-American Fenian insurgents who aimed to seize Canada and exchange it for Irish independence.The monument, designed in the Italian Renaissance style, was sculpted by Robert Reid of Mayer & Co. of Montreal. It was unveiled on Dominion Day in 1870. The monument features a tiered structure with pedestals, cornices, and buttresses, constructed from sandstone and marble. Statues representing Faith and Grief, along with figures of riflemen, adorn the monument. A statue of Britannia sits atop the structure.In 2006, conservation efforts were undertaken to repair the then 150-year-old monument. The restoration included stabilizing the core, cleaning the masonry, treating the marble statuary, and repairing surface loss. The monument serves as a place of reflection and appreciation for the sacrifices made by those who served.