Lime Ridge Monument

Irish wanted to be free from British rule and to form an independent republic of their own. Irish-American revolutionaries known as Fenian Brotherhood started invading Canada as part of an attempt to pressurize the British Government. These skirmishes from 1866 to1871 are known as Fenian raids.

Battle of Lime Ridge was the largest of these skirmishes. In the face of the well-armed and well-trained opposition, Canadian troops were made to retreat. The result shocked the country and developed a sense of nationalism which resulted in the Confederation of Canada a year later in 1867. Some historians describe it as a "battle that made Canada".

As for the Irish, these raids did nothing to further their cause right away and they have to wait for more than fifty years for that. Nonetheless, they finally got their independence in 1921.

This monument honors Canadian volunteers who lost their lives during the said battle.

One interesting thing about the monument is its plaques. Look closely, every 'U' is substituted by a 'V' in the description. That is true for almost all of the historical buildings here in Toronto. In old English, letter V was used for both 'V' and 'U' sounds. Widespread use of 'U' was adopted in the 18th century but monuments and buildings designed in neoclassical style continued to use 'V' for a much longer period.