The Loyalist Memorial is situated on the Green at the juncture of Waterloo Row and Alexandra Street. The 3-ton boulder bearing the memorial tablet is located in the vicinity of the Loyalist encampment where they camped upon their arrival in 1783.
Heritage Value
Unveiled in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the landing of the Loyalists at St. Anne’s Point, the Loyalist Memorial was dedicated on October 8, 1933. The York-Sunbury Historical Society, with the assistance of the Imperial Order of Daughters of the Empire and Fredericton City Council, organized the celebration and the selection of the monument. The committee decided to use a boulder located near the site of the Loyalist Landing. The 3-ton sandstone boulder was moved from the hillside along Forest Hill Road to the Waterloo Row Green, known locally as The Flats. The site is significant because of its location near both the Loyalist encampment and the Loyalist Provincials’ Burial Ground. Alternate locations for the monument, which were ultimately rejected, included the middle of town and the Loyalist Provincials’ Burial Ground.
The celebration began with a service at the Cathedral, with loyalty the theme of the sermon, before moving to the memorial site. The Loyalist Memorial was unveiled with a grand celebration, attended by local and provincial dignitaries. Mayor W.G. Clark, the Lieutenant-Governor, Major-General Hugh H. McLean, and Honorable Tilley, Premier of New Brunswick addressed the audience assembled at the monument. Loyalist associations from across the country had representatives at the unveiling, including The Countess of Ashburnham who represented the United Empire Association of Canada.
The Loyalist Memorial, draped in the Union Jack was unveiled by the Lieutenant Governor and handed to two Boy Scouts. Flowers were placed upon the memorial by the children of Sterling Brannen, sixth generation Loyalist family. The celebration concluded with hymns sung by a collective choir of all the city churches and a 21-gun salute. A military parade from the memorial site to the Armoury on Carleton Street, solemnly escorted the audience from the memorial site.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements associated with the Loyalist Memorial on Waterloo Row include:
- 3-ton sandstone boulder with bronze memorial tablet commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Loyalist arrival
- Its historic siting in the vicinity of the landing of the Loyalists
- Adjacent manicured lawn and greenery
- Association with the Loyalist experience and foundation of the City of Fredericton