RCYC members who made the ultimate sacrifice in the “Great War”

On my walk today on the freshly mowed lawns of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club on Toronto Island, I discovered an impressive capstan carved from black marble and grey granite, and capped with bronze with the stunning view of our city behind it.

Many see it from land and water but truly don’t know its significance. It was installed and dedicated in 1926 and engraved are the names of 59 club members who were killed between 1914-1919 serving in the Great War.

At the top of the capstan are the following lines which gave me pause,

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not wither them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
We will remember them.”

*A capstan is a vertical-axled rotating machine developed for use on sailing ships to multiply the pulling force of seamen when hauling ropes, cables, and hawsers.

*photo owned and taken by Phil Crawford