In Memoriam: remembering the First World War at U of T
They called it The Great War. The War to End All Wars. A conflict that killed, wounded and maimed millions of soldiers and civilians, destroying empires, transforming the world’s political and economic structures and spreading heartbreak and loss from the tiniest of Canadian villages to the most powerful cities on earth.
On July 31, members of the public and the University of Toronto community will gather at Varsity Stadium to mark the 100th anniversary of the First World War. In Memoriam, a remembrance of the sacrifices of 1914-1918, will bring together renowned historian and U of T professor Margaret MacMillan, the Massed Band of the Canadian Armed Forces and General Thomas J. Lawson, chief of the defense staff.
When Great Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914, Canada was caught off guard and ill-prepared – and so was the University of Toronto.