Question Period Note: NATIONAL MONUMENT TO CANADA’S MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN

• The National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan will recognize the commitment and sacrifice of the Canadian Armed Forces members and civilians who served in Afghanistan, and the support provided to them by Canadians at home.
• On June 19, 2023, the Government of Canada announced that it had selected a design and conceptual approach for the Monument submitted by a design team lead by Adrian Stimson, and member of the Siksika Nation who spent time as an artist with Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan.
• The decision to select the Team Stimson design reflected the feedback of Veterans, their families, and others who served on the mission.
• On June 19, 2025 the National Capital Commission (NCC) Board of Directors granted the final federal design approval for the Monument, based on Team Stimson’s design.
• On September 23, 2025, project authority to proceed with tendering for the construction phase of the project was granted during the NCC Board of Directors meeting.
• Construction of the Monument is estimated to begin in Spring 2026 and completed in 2028, with a dedication and unveiling ceremony following the end of construction.

On May 8, 2014, the Government of Canada announced that a monument would be built to commemorate the Afghanistan mission. Veterans Affairs Canada is responsible for funding the Monument, Canadian Heritage is the project manager and the National Capital Commission is responsible for project implementation and assumes ownership of the monument when completed.
In June 2019, the National Capital Commission Board of Directors approved the Monument site located across from the Canadian War Museum on LeBreton Flats.
In August 2019, Canadian Heritage launched Phase one of the design competition, inviting teams of professional artists, architects, landscape architects, and other urban design professionals to submit their qualifications.
In May 2020, five finalist design teams were selected by a seven-member independent jury established for the design competition process.
From May 20 to June 9, 2021, Canadian Heritage coordinated an online viewing and an online survey on the finalist design concepts, with more than 12,000 responses received.
In November 2021, the seven-member jury selected the design by Team Daoust as the finalist in the design competition process.
After consideration, the Minister of Veterans Affairs decided to select the Team Stimson design concept for the Monument as the design best reflected the comments made by Veterans, their families and other mission participants in the online survey.
On October 31, 2023, the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (ACVA) commenced a study of the National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan, following the decision to select Team Stimson’s design.
In February 2025, Veterans Affairs Canada reached a settlement with Team Daoust, the design team selected by the Jury. The terms of the settlement are subject to a confidentiality clause and are therefore not public.
On September 26, 2024, Veterans Affairs Canada participated in a site blessing at the future location of the National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan where the Pikwàkanagàn and Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nations blessed the lands of the site. Site blessings are deeply rooted in many Indigenous cultures and are performed to honour the spirits of the land, protect the site and ensure harmony and balance during the construction process. The blessing is a meaningful first step to prepare the site for sod-turning and eventual construction of the Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan.

QUICK FACTS & FIGURES
• The National Capital Commission (NCC) granted final approval for the Team Stimson Monument design on June 19, 2025, clearing the way for the final construction and unveiling steps in the project. The concept for the NMCMA is complex with significant details in terms of symbolism, text and design. Tariffs, material availability and specialized skill set for the construction will impact timelines.

• On September 23, 2025, project authority to proceed with tendering for the construction phase of the project was granted during the NCC Board of Directors meeting.

• Tendering is expected to take place in late 2025 to award a contract in 2026.

• A Sod Turning event is expected to take place in 2026 marking the official start of the construction phase of this initiative.

• The unveiling of the NMCMA is expected in 2028.

• Over 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) deployed to Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014. Many Canadians died as a result of their service in Afghanistan, including 158 CAF members and 7 civilians - a diplomat, foreign aid workers, a government contractor and a journalist. The mission in Afghanistan is Canada’s fifth most costly military engagement in terms of lives lost, with thousands of additional physical and psychological casualties.