About McGill Remembers

McGill University Archives, 0000-0481.04.132

Thanks to the generosity of McGill alumni and longstanding friends John and Pattie Cleghorn and the support of Professor Heather Munroe-Blum, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, the McGill University Archives were able to undertake the digitization of the McGill University War Records through the McGill Remembers Project.

Many members of the McGill community have contributed to the development of McGill Remembers with a view to facilitating research access to this archival legacy. In 2005, the McGill Remembers Roundtable was established to plan activities to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and Canada’s Year of the Veteran. The Roundtable included a group of committed individuals lead by Dr. Christopher Milligan of McGill University's Faculty of Education and Wes Cross, then of the Office of the Dean of Students. (See the Site Credits section for a full list of those who have participated in the Roundtable.) As a result of these discussions and the engagement of the participants, the McGill University Archives prepared a virtual exhibition and various members of the Roundtable undertook other commemorative initiatives.

The Royal Canadian Legion expressed its support for the McGill Remembers project with a financial contribution in 2008. Their support came at a critical time in the evolution of the project, and permitted the University Archives to prepare materials to enhance and maintain the virtual exhibit.

The McGill Remembers project commemorates the men and women of the McGill community who served during the Second World War, and also recognizes the University’s institutional commitment to the war effort. It also recognizes McGill’s participation in other conflicts and peacekeeping operations of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In addition to this website and the archival digitization initiative, dedicated individuals are exploring other commemoration projects, including the restoration of McGill’s Memorial Hall in the Currie Gymnasium on Pine Avenue in Montreal. The Memorial Hall houses the Book of Remembrance, commemorative plaques, as well as flags and paintings.