The City of Brantford has released a list of names identified as missing from the Brant War Memorial after a comprehensive community consultation conducted in late 2024.
Last fall, residents were invited to submit names of local war casualties not currently listed on the Brant War Memorial.
Submissions were accepted through an online form or during in-person sessions at the Canadian Military Heritage Museum.
Following the consultation and review period, 23 names were confirmed to be missing from the Brant War Memorial, including 22 from the Second World War (1939-1945) and one from the First World War (1914-1918).
Many of these names were submitted by staff from the Canadian Military Heritage Museum, who meticulously cross-referenced war records and newspaper archives. Their dedication ensured that even those without surviving family members to report it, their service could still be honoured.
The list of missing names, already reviewed by a jury of military history representatives from Brantford, the County of Brant, and Six Nations of the Grand River, is now available on www.Brantford.ca/WarMemorial until Thursday, March 6, 2025, for final public review.
After this review period, the City will begin determining how to add these names to the Brant War Memorial, ensuring the updates adhere to heritage standards and guidelines while honouring the sacrifice of fallen service members.
Located at 6 Dalhousie Street in Brantford, the Brant War Memorial was designed by Walter S. Allward and constructed in 1933 in memory of the local war dead who lost their lives during the First World War.
The parkland on which the memorial sits was formerly used as a parade ground for those who left Brantford during the First World War.
The memorial was later modified to incorporate the names of local war dead from the Second World War, Korean War, and Afghanistan War. In 1952, a Memorial Gallery was added as a backdrop, and in 1992, seven bronze statues were installed to represent the men and women involved in the wars and to commemorate local armed forces veterans.
