Arc of Memory, National Monument

This international competition-winning design is a memorial to the victims of communist authoritarianism, and a celebration of Canada as a land of refuge.

Over 4000 bronze rods are arranged along 365 slender posts, each one pointing at a unique angle of the sun, for every hour of every day, across a year. The memorial is divided in the middle at the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year, inviting visitors to step through in a metaphorical journey from darkness and oppression to lightness and liberty.

At a distance, the sculptural array of bronze rods expresses the vastness of the suffering of individuals under communist regimes. Up close, the memorial invites visitors to reflect on their own experiences.

Ultimately the memorial invites people to bring forth their own ideas and thoughts, to walk their own path and recognize each other in a free and welcoming country.