Robert Burns Memorial Statue (Fredericton)
The statue in 2025 | |
Interactive map of Robert Burns Memorial Statue | |
| Location | 799 Queen Street Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 45°57′32″N 66°38′05″W / 45.959°N 66.63464°W |
| Designer | William Grant Stevenson (statue) McIntosh-Gullet Granite Company (pedestal) |
| Type | Statue |
| Material | Bronze (statue) Granite (pedestal) |
| Height | 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) (statue) 12 ft (3.7 m) (pedestal) |
| Dedicated date | October 18, 1906 |
| Dedicated to | Robert Burns |
The Robert Burns Memorial Statue is a monumental statue in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. It was designed by Scottish sculptor William Grant Stevenson and dedicated in 1906. It currently stands on the Green, a park adjacent to the Saint John River, near Christ Church Cathedral. It consists of a bronze statue of the Scottish poet Robert Burns atop a granite pedestal. Ornaments on the pedestal include bronze panels depicting scenes from some of Burns's works.
Plans for the statue originated from Fredericton's Society of St. Andrew in 1903, with that group's president serving as the chairman for the monument committee and overseeing fundraising efforts. Stevenson, who had worked on the creation of other statues of Burns, was commissioned for the statue, while the pedestal was created by the McIntosh-Gullet Granite Company of Toronto. The memorial was dedicated in a large ceremony held on Thanksgiving, October 18, 1906, with an oration given by Lieutenant Governor Duncan Cameron Fraser of Nova Scotia. The event attracted 5,000 people, which was considered one of the largest gatherings in the city's history. The monument marked the first public statue erected in the province.
In 1911, the statue was recast due to defects in the original casting. In 1956, the statue was relocated due to the construction of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. In the early 21st century, the statue underwent repairs and was incorporated into a sculpture garden by the gallery, situated near a statue of Lord Beaverbrook and a public fountain.