Champlain Monument Orillia 003

The Champlain Monument in Orillia, Ontario, Canada, was the idea of newspaper editor C.H. Hale. A contest was held in which sculptors submitted their ideas for judging. The winning entry was by English sculptor Vernon March, cast in bronze, made in England and shipped to Orillia for official unveiling on July 1 (Canada Day), 1925.

The statue of Champlain is 12 feet tall above a 36 foot monument, flanked by additional sculptures depicting missionaries and fur traders dealing in spirituality and commerce with the native peoples of the region.

For more on the history of the French explorer, go to

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