Soldiers' Tower, Toronto Travel Guide

The Soldiers' Tower, a striking bell and clock tower on the University of Toronto's St. George campus, serves as a lasting tribute to the university's members who served in the World Wars. Designed in the Late Gothic Revival style by architects Henry Sproatt and Ernest Ross Rolph, construction on the tower began in 1919 and was completed in 1924. The tower stands 43.5 meters (143 feet) tall and houses a carillon of 51 bells.The tower commemorates the 628 members of the University of Toronto who gave their lives during active service in the First World War, as well as the 557 men and women lost in the Second World War. The names of those who died in the Great War (1914–1918) are etched on a sheltered stone screen adjacent to the tower's base, while the inner walls of the tower's stone archway are inscribed with the names of those lost in the Second World War (1939–45).Inside the tower, visitors can explore the Memorial Room, which showcases a collection of medals, memorial books, portraits, photographs, flags, and miscellaneous memorabilia from the war periods. A dramatic 12-panel stained-glass window offers a visual interpretation of John McCrae's iconic poem "In Flanders Fields". Eight additional stained-glass windows along the staircase honor different aspects of Canadian forces' wartime services. The carillon, installed in 1927, consists of 51 bells ranging in weight from 23 pounds to 4 tons. The bells are played on special occasions like convocation, reunions, homecoming, and Remembrance Day.