The Casavant pipe organ seen at the Convocation Hall at the University of Alberta in this undated photo. It was built in 1978 to replace one built in 1925 to honour students and faculty members who lost their lives in the First World War. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout – Marnie Giesbrecht (Mandatory Credit)
Memory and Valour is raising urgent concerns about the University of Alberta’s plan to remove the historic Casavant pipe organ from Convocation Hall; an instrument that stands as the successor to the original 1925 war memorial organ dedicated to 80 members of the university community who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. The removal is slated for the end of April 2026.
The University has stated that the removal is part of a $7.4 million renovation project intended to improve accessibility. While accessibility is essential and must be prioritized, the removal of this memorial instrument would permanently erase a significant piece of Canadian heritage.
The original 1925 organ and accompanying memorial tablets were dedicated to students, staff, and alumni who served and died in the First World War, and rededicated in 1947 to those who died in the Second World War. The current Casavant organ, installed in 1978, was publicly affirmed as a continuation of that memorial purpose. Veterans Affairs Canada continues to list the organ as an official Canadian war memorial. Adding what feels like insult to injury is the fact that the University’s decision was made unilaterally without consultation of the Royal Canadian Legion, Veteran’s Affairs Canada, or any other memorial organization.
Experts in the organ and academic communities have emphasized that removing the instrument will destroy it as a playable organ and that reinstalling it elsewhere is likely impossible. This would end nearly a century of musical tradition at the university and sever a tangible link to the institution’s wartime history.
As founder of Memory and Valour and an advocate for Canadian veterans and CEF history, I am deeply troubled by the lack of meaningful consultation and the apparent willingness to sacrifice a memorial to our war dead. Memorials are not decorative; they are promises to remember, to honour, and to teach future generations.
We call on the University of Alberta to:
- Halt the removal of the pipe organ
- Engage in transparent, community‑driven consultation
- Explore solutions that preserve both accessibility and heritage
- Honour its century‑long commitment to remembering the fallen
Our veterans and our history deserve no less.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Samantha McCrea, Founder of Memory and Valour
memoryandvalour@gmail.com
