Walking in their footsteps: the story behind Halifax’s WWI memorial arch

By Gabrielle Brunette, FMF Cape Scott Strategic Communications Officer

Halifax, 20 May 1915

They trudged carefully along the waterfront, consumed by the anticipation of what awaited them. Each step felt heavier than the last, weighed down by their heavy, woolen uniforms and filled packs. Their boots – once scuffed across farmer’s fields, factory floors, school yards, and city streets – now thudded in unison against the wooden planks of the dock, leaving a uniform print behind. 

Soldiers. That’s what they were now. Stripped of the lives they had led before, marching towards an uncertain future. 

Behind them, the city stood still in the early light of morning. Ahead, the ships waited, their engines humming low beneath the sounds of sea and wind colliding, creating waves that crashed against the hulls. One by one, they climbed the gangways – unsure if they would ever come home again. 

More than a century later, an idea and an old pair of boots, would bring these footsteps back to life. 

A Conversation Over Tea 

It began in a small Halifax café, where two old friends, Corinne MacLellan, who was a communications officer for the provincial government at the time, and Nancy Keating, an artist with a background in public relations, were catching up over a cup of tea. 

MacLellan had been in the middle of planning events for the Great War centennial period when she came across an old pair of military boots. They were Ammunition Boots, the standard issued combat boot worn by Canadian Soldiers during World War I (WWI). 

Halifax played a significant role during the First World War, serving as the main gateway between Canada and Europe for thousands of Canadian and Allied soldiers. More than 350,000 soldiers were deployed out of the Halifax harbour. 

This got MacLellan thinking. 

“How is it that this is the place that hundreds of thousands of Canadians took their last steps on Canadian soil, and we don’t really mark that place? That’s weird,” she said. 

Looking for ways to honour those thousands of souls – lost or forever changed – MacLellan floated the idea of using the boots to press footsteps into concrete, symbolizing that final march. 

Keating teased, “The only time someone would see it is if they tripped over it.” 

MacLellan shot back with, “If you’re so smart, come up with a better idea.” 

That off-handed challenge marked the beginning of what would become The Last Steps – a memorial arch commemorating the service and sacrifice of those who served in WWI. 

Bringing The Concept to Life

The concept for the memorial was carefully thought out by Keating. It needed to tell the story in a way that would make people truly understand the weight and significance of those final moments. For her, the most powerful way to do that wasn’t just to show history — it was to make people feel it. To walk the same path. To take “last steps” of their own. 

“The way I looked at it was, those footprints were always there. We just couldn’t see them anymore,” Keating said. “So, I needed to put them back.” 

Keating’s design consisted of a wooden gangway, like those used to board troop ships during WW1, leading to a victory arch built out of lumber and steel, with the words The Last Steps fastened above. 

“They made a commitment, not knowing what lay ahead. That’s what the arch stands for — that moment of decision, of courage,” she explained. 

Scattered civilian footprints would be painted onto the planks of the boardwalk leading to the gangway, where they turned into the hobnailed pattern of Ammunition Boots. 

MacLellan and Keating teamed up with Ken Hynes, then-curator of the Army Museum Halifax Citadel. With only a concept sketch in hand – and no funding, formal backing, or location for the monument – the trio set to work, determined to bring this concept to life. 

“To say that we bonded over a commemorative kinship would be, I think, to put it mildly,” MacLellan said. 

The team pushed forward, past every obstacle thrown their way, driven by a shared belief that this story mattered and that it had to be told. 

They attended various meetings, made countless phone calls, and pitched their idea until their perseverance finally paid off. People began to understand the importance of the monument, and support began to trickle in. 

“We brought people kicking and screaming along with us until they got the idea,” Hynes said with a smile. 

In the end, The Last Step was made possible through various community partners from Build Nova Scotia to the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. Coastal Woodworkers in Burnside were brought on to build the structure and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic provided a location for it to be displayed, next to the CSS Acadia. 

The Rise and Fall of The Last Steps 

From the moment it stood up on the Halifax waterfront in 2016, The Last Steps resonated. 

“You’d look at the webcam and there was never a moment someone wasn’t there, standing in silence or taking it in,” Hynes said. “That’s when we knew it had worked.” 

The monument also caught the attention of people on an international scale, which led to a sister monument being erected in Belgium with the help of MacLellan, Keating, and Hynes. Canada Gate, also designed by Keating and made almost entirely out of steel, commemorates the Battle of Passchendaele where more than 14,000 members of the Canadian Armed Forces were wounded, and almost 4000 were killed in action. It’s design – made up of two arches connected by a wooden pathway, similar those found in trenches, where the hobnailed footsteps continue – symbolizes the arrival of Canadian and Allied soldiers onto Belgium territory. It’s meant to be a direct portal from The Last Steps. 

But soon that link would be broken, needing to be restored. 

By 2023, the arch had deteriorated significantly, after multiple years of being exposed to the harbour’s harsh winds and salt air. MacLellan and Hynes made the difficult decision to dismantle the arch themselves, salvaging what they could: the concrete base of the monument and the lettering. 

MacLellan remembers the disheartening feeling of breaking down the remains of the monument with their bare hands, thinking this was the end of The Last Steps. 

But after so much time and effort put into this project, MacLellan, Keating, and Hynes, had a hard time letting go.

“You can’t let something so meaningful just fall. It deserves to stand again,” Hynes said. 

That’s when David Benoit, Captain (Navy) Retired and CEO of Build Nova Scotia, put the team into contact with Fleet Maintenance Facility (FMF) Cape Scott. 

“Our angels show up at the right time, it seems. Every time,” MacLellan said. 

Time and time again, the trio have put their fate behind the power of the monument, and every time they have been met with support and understanding. This time was no different. 

Renewing a Lasting Legacy 

As the former Commanding Officer of the maintenance facility, the retired captain knew the level of skill, knowledge, and capability of the FMF Cape Scott workforce. The facility could ensure that the monument was once again stood up on the Halifax waterfront for tourists and locals alike. 

Recognizing both the monument’s historical importance and its alignment with their own legacy of service, FMF Cape Scott agreed to help rebuild and maintain The Last Steps. 

MacLellan, Keating, and Hynes have expressed on multiple occurrences how grateful they are for FMF Cape Scott’s help with restoring this important monument and piece of history. 

“You can’t help but believe that there’s some energy in the universe that is making the right people show up at the right time,” Hynes said. 

The hope is to have The Last Steps ready to be unveiled at the Halifax Fleet Week 2025.