Image: 01-20151111 Orangemen War Memorial in Wentworth Park, Sydney

Description: The War Memorial in Sydney’s Wentworth Park is impressive and unique, commemorating men killed in the First and Second World Wars who belonged to the Loyal Orange Lodge of Cape Breton. The loyalty of Orange members to England meant Orangemen enlisted in the First World War in much greater numbers than the rest of the population. Over 55,000 Canadian Orangemen fought overseas, of which more than 8,000 were killed and many others injured. In March 1918 at the annual meeting held at the Orange Hall in Truro, James Forsythe, Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Nova Scotia, stated: I am sure that I voice the feelings of all here assembled, that we are proud, and justly so, of the showing our Canadian boys have made, accomplishing at the time what seemed impossible, many times saving the day for the Allies. I am glad too, that such a high percentage of our members have enlisted to serve the Empire in the great cause for justice, that we may never be found behind in upholding the principles of freedom and honor, for which our institution stands. Though many have paid the supreme sacrifice and today lie in unmarked graves on the battle fields of Flanders, we shall never forget their unselfish and unwritten history of honor. On February 11, 1919, at a meeting in the Orange Hall in Glace Bay, Dan McDougall, Master of the Orange Lodge, proposed that they erect a monument in memory of Orangemen from Cape Breton County who lost their lives in the First World War. They canvassed other primary Lodges in the province and with their support, the Glace Bay Lodge erected a monument in Wentworth Park, Sydney, in 1921. The following year, the Grand Orange Lodge of Nova Scotia began holding annual services at Wentworth Park in memory of Nova Scotian Orangemen who lost their lives in the First World War. Following the Second World War, the Grand Lodge placed a new frontispiece on the monument to commemorate Orangemen from Cape Breton County who lost their lives in the both the First and Second World Wars. The updated monument was unveiled on July 7, 1946.
Title: 01-20151111 Orangemen War Memorial in Wentworth Park, Sydney
Credit: Own work
Author: Ken Heaton
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Attribution Required?: Yes