2 P.E.I war memorials among best in Canada, says author

AlanMacLeodsays it was his great-uncle's stories about his experiences in the First World War that got him interested in war memorials.

"In the year 2010 I was in Westville, Nova Scotiaon a war history mission," he said. "There I saw the most affecting community war memorial I had ever seen and that sent me on a mission."

MacLeod'smission led him to find more war memorials as he travelled across Canada twice.

"We made a number of regional tripsas well focusing on community war memorials that feature a figure of a soldier in stone and bronze."

MacLeod said he amassed a large body of work from all the information he gathered, which he decided to publish in a book titled,Remembered in Bronze and Stone: Canada's Great War Memorial Statuary.

MacLeodsaid there are two "magnificent"war memorials on P.E.I.

"They are two I count among the finest war memorials in all of Canada."

One of the war memorials is in front of Province House in Charlottetown and the other is in Summerside.

The author said the two artists who created the pieces each had their own unique style. The Charlottetown memorialglorifiesthe Canadian soldier while the Summerside piece mourns the fighter going into battle.

"Each piece is at the opposite end of the emotional spectrum."

MacLeod said he will be drawing attention to both war memorials when he gives a talk about his book at theConfederation Centre Public Library on Oct. 6 at 2 p.m.

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