The Filipino-Canadian community will establish a new Jose Rizal monument in a park overlooking the famous Niagara Falls—a spot that the national hero himself once visited in 1888.
On August 6, 2023, Consul General Angelica C. Escalona visited the site that would soon be the home of a new monument to national hero, Jose Rizal. As per a recent press release from The Philippine Consulate General of Toronto, the upcoming landmark will be installed in a park overlooking the famous Niagara Falls—one of North America’s Seven Natural Wonders located on the border between Canada and the United States.
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A Friendship Between Two Countries
This is a result of years’ worth of effort from the Filipino-Canadian community, who worked to gain approval for the project. According to the official press release, the monument will serve as “a symbol of friendship between Canada and the Philippines as well as a recognition of the many contributions Filipinos made in their adopted country.”
Consul General Escalona thanked the community for their continued efforts, as well as Mayor of Niagara Falls Jim Diodati, for his support.
A Mark of History
The proposed landmark will consist of a bronze bust of Jose Rizal, the Philippines’ national hero, who fought against the injustices Filipinos experienced throughout the Spanish colonial period and died for the country on December 30, 1896.
Rizal traveled all over the world during his lifetime, and actually visited Niagara Falls during a trip around North America. The hero viewed the great falls from the Canadian side in 1888, and in 1998, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (then the National Historical Institute of the Philippines) installed a historical marker to highlight the very place where Rizal stood. It reads: “The national hero of the Philippines visited this magnificent falls and paused between the two rocks on May 12, 1888.”
“Dr. Rizal continues to inspire Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike all over the world to value freedom and make a difference. It would be wonderful to have a Rizal memorial next to one of the most amazing spots on earth,” shared Consul General Escalona in her official statement.
Banner photo from the Ethno Cultural Monuments in Canada website .
