John McCrae - Legacy

Legacy

McCrae was designated a Person of National Historic Significance in 1946.

In 1918, Lieut. John Philip Sousa wrote the music to "In Flanders Fields the poppies grow" words by Lieut.-Col John McCrae.

Guelph is home to McCrae House, a museum created in his birthplace.

The Cloth Hall of the city of Ieper (Ypres in French and English) in Belgium has a permanent war remembrance called the "In Flanders Fields Museum", named after the poem. There are also a photograph and a short biographical memorial to McCrae in the St George Memorial Church in Ypres.

Several institutions have been named in McCrae's honour, including John McCrae Public School (in Guelph), John McCrae Public School (part of the York Region District School Board, in the Toronto suburb of Markham, Ontario), John McCrae Senior Public School (in Scarborough, Ontario) and John McCrae Secondary School (part of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, in the Ottawa suburb of Barrhaven).

A bronze plaque memorial dedicated to Lt. Col. John McCrae was erected by the Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute.

The current Canadian War Museum has a gallery for special exhibits, called The Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae Gallery.

A line from his poem ("To you from failing hands...") was painted on the wall of the Montreal Canadiens dressing room at the Forum in Montreal, a blunt reminder to each team that they have much to live up to.