After a long five and a half years, the war was over. On May 8, 1945, McGill’s end-of-term examinations were disrupted by spontaneous celebrations that began at 9 a.m. upon the official announcement of the end of the war in Europe. Clusters of students and staff soon began celebrating before moving on to Ste-Catherine Street to join the massive number of Montrealers who had spontaneously gathered at Phillips Square, Dominion Square and the intersection of Peel and Ste-Catherine streets. A similar outpouring of celebration and relief would mark the Aug. 15 end of hostilities in the Pacific.
The war had affected McGill in many ways. While enrolment had held steady at just over 3,000 throughout the conflict, the normal rhythm and purpose of campus life had undergone substantial changes in adapting to wartime requirements.
The end of the conflict brought great relief, but for the University, a new set of challenges arose. The financial struggles of the Great Depression followed by the focus on wartime priorities had left the campus in a lessened state. Buildings, classrooms, libraries and equipment all were in great need of updating and expansion. This problem had been recognized, and a funding campaign begun in 1943 raised $7 million toward the necessary work. At the same time, new programs of study were to be added in response to changing economic and social requirements.
A more immediate issue was the fact that enrolment would more than double by 1946 as returning veterans took advantage of the federal Veterans Charter educational program. Temporary facilities would be needed to address the surge of new students and a satellite campus, Dawson College, was created with speed and efficiency in St-Jean. It began operation in September 1945.
Honouring fallen members of the McGill community
As the University navigated these challenges, the members of the McGill community who had lost their lives were never forgotten. Of the over 5,500 men and women who had played a direct role during the Second World War, 298 had died. An effort to build a memorial space for those lost in both the First and Second World Wars was underway by the spring of 1945 and gained momentum as the war came to an end. The fundraising drive, generously supported by 8,000 donations from alumni and families of the veterans, led to the establishment of sites at both campuses. At Macdonald College, a commemorative archway in the Raymond Building was dedicated on Feb. 26, 1948.
On the downtown campus, new additions to the Sir Arthur Currie Memorial Gymnasium and Armoury would include a Memorial Hall and Pool. In October 1946, the cornerstone ceremony for Memorial Hall served as the climax of the University’s 125th anniversary celebrations, and on Nov. 26, 1950, His Excellency, Viscount Alexander of Tunis, Governor General of Canada, presided over the official opening.
Within walls clad in travertine quarried from Monte Cassino and black marble from Normandy, the names of the 365 First World War and 298 Second World War dead were placed in a Book of Remembrance. At the ceremony, University Chaplain Clifford Knowles envisioned Memorial Hall as a way to connect to the future generations of students and declared, “the way we can truly dedicate these buildings is by advancing the cause for which they died.”