The Story

The Monument project was initiated when two Canadian aid workers were killed in the space of three weeks in senseless acts of violence while pursuing their humanitarian work abroad.

Tim Stone, Executive Director of HealthBridge (formerly PATH Canada) was killed on November 23, 1996 on the hijacked Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed over the Comoros Islands when it ran out of fuel.

Nancy Malloy, a member of the CNA was on a mission for the Canadian Red Cross in Chechnya when she and six colleagues working with the International Committee of the Red Cross were shot in their beds on December 17, 1996.

Led by Sian FitzGerald, who worked with Tim, and Tim's widow Jean Lash, HealthBridge enlisted the help of the Canadian Red Cross and the Canadian Nurses Association to find a way to honour Canadians who have lost their lives in developing countries as a direct result of the risks they face in their development work.

The Canadian International Development Agency agreed to cover half the $150,000 cost, and the National Capital Commission provided a site.

A Monument Fund was established to receive donations for the creation of the Monument. Donations were received from across the country.