Sir Winston Churchill, 1977
Located: Nathan Phillips Square
Artist: Oscar Nemon, 1906-1985
Commissioned by: Harry Jackman, 1900-1979
Copyright 2016, Public Art of Toronto. All rights reserved.
As imposing in bronze as in real life, Sir Winston Churchill’s memorial can be found in the northwest corner of Nathan Phillips Square. Unveiled in 1977 by former mayor David Crombie, the statue was cast from the original mold of Oscar Neron’s likeness of the great man. That piece stands in the in the Member’s Lobby of the British House of Commons. Of his work, Neron had definite ideas of what he was attempting to capture. “I was trying to express an idea of impatience and hurry, of a man wanting to see something done.”
The Toronto statue was commissioned by Harry Jackman and originally erected on Queen Street between Osgood Hall and Toronto City Hall. Although he glared at passersby, Churchill’s statue wasn’t a well-visited feature of the Square. On the 25th anniversary of its unveiling, the International Churchill Society (Canada) decided it was time to improve the memorial’s profile within the space. The group raised funds and lobbied city council to revitalize the area surrounding the statue by beautifying the locale and improving accessibility.
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