Memorials and Monuments in Toronto's High Park

From the Architect’s Tomb to Lesya Ukrainka — discover the story behind these striking monuments and memorials in Toronto’s High Park.

High Park is home to a collection of monuments and memorials that reflect the community’s history and cultural diversity. From the Howard family’s striking tomb to the Portuguese Monument and the tribute to poet Lesya Ukrainka, each landmark offers a glimpse into the people and stories that have shaped, and continue to shape, the park’s identity.

The Architect's Tomb

The Howard family’s burial site and monument, also called the Architect’s Tomb, is located at the south end of High Park, near Colborne Lodge. When John and Jemima Howard deeded their 165‑acre country estate which they called High Park to the City of Toronto in 1873, one of their conditions was that they be buried within the park and that the City maintain their graves in perpetuity. The City agreed to this and the other terms of the deed, including a financial arrangement.

In 1875, the Howards designed and constructed their future tomb and monument on a scenic rise near Colborne Lodge, overlooking Grenadier Pond and the Lakeshore. The monument features a cairn or pile of stones to honour Jemima’s Scottish heritage. Atop the cairn sits a marble pediment crowned with a Maltese cross, a symbol connected to John’s membership in the Masonic Order. A modest gravestone was later added in front of the monument.

Portuguese Monument

The Portuguese Monument stands near the centre of High Park, just south of the Grenadier Café. First installed in 1978 in a quieter area north of the restaurant to mark the 25th anniversary of Toronto’s Portuguese community, it was later moved to its current, more prominent location, and its surrounding terrazzo patio was replaced.

The monument features a terrazzo base marked with compass points, topped by a granite plinth and a tall granite column crowned with a marble cross. Just below the cross is an inscription of lines by 16th‑century Portuguese poet Luís Vaz de Camões. The verse, still visible despite weathering, celebrates early Portuguese explorers and adventurers.

Lesya Ukrainka

This sculpture stands in a prominent location opposite the Grenadier Cafe’s parking lot on the east side of Colborne Lodge Drive, near the entrances to Dog Hill and High Park Amphitheatre. Installed in the fall of 1975 during the International Year of the Woman, it commemorates the influential Ukrainian poet, playwright, and activist Lesya Ukrainka. High Park was selected both for its convenience and because of the strong Ukrainian‑Canadian community that has long lived in the surrounding neighbourhood.

Lesya Ukrainka was the pen name of Larysa Petrivna Kosach‑Kvitka. She was born in 1871 in Ukraine which was then part of the Russian Empire. She began writing poetry in her native language at a young age and later expanded her work to include dramatic prose, literary criticism, and sociopolitical essays that explored themes of human rights and national freedom. Because the Russian Empire restricted Ukrainian‑language publications and the personal risks posed by her subject matter, she wrote under her pen name. Despite lifelong health challenges, she produced a remarkable body of work before her death from tuberculosis at age 42.

The bronze sculpture is mounted on a granite plinth bearing her name in both Ukrainian and English, along with the inscription “The Greatest Ukrainian Poetess.” The rear panel includes biographical information and the name of the sculptor, Mykailo Chereshniovsky. Originally placed in an open area, the statue is now enclosed within inner and outer fencing to protect it from off‑leash dogs.

Howard Memorial Gates

At the east entrance of the park on High Park Boulevard stand the ornate Howard Memorial Gates, also known as the Alexandra Gates. Built in 1913, the gates feature stone pillars, decorative wrought‑iron arches, and period ornamental lanterns. An inscription on the gates reads:

"This memorial gateway is dedicated to the late John G. Howard, founder of High Park, by the Westminster chapter of the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire and the corporation of the City of Toronto."

Lott Memorial Fountain

The fountain at the northeast corner of High Park was donated to the City in the 1960s by local resident Ernest D. Lott. For many years, it served as a refreshing stop for visitors, pets, and wildlife alike. As the structure aged, it deteriorated to the point where the fountain had to be shut down. The City has since invested in rebuilding the area, restoring both a drinking fountain and a water feature. With new plantings of trees, native grasses, and wildflowers, the site once again forms an inviting gateway into High Park.

Special thanks to Ron Allen, whose articles for the quarterly newsletter, High Park News, provide the foundation for much of the content on this webpage.