Honouring the memorial: our response to the Summerby-Murray report | The Quad

For more than a century, Convocation Hall has been a special part of the University of Alberta's fabric - a place of gathering, ceremony, remembrance and celebration for students, faculty, alumni and the broader Edmonton community.

In recent months, many in our community have expressed concern about the future of the Casavant organ (Casavant Opus 3358) in this historic space. Those concerns are sincere and reflect a deep appreciation for the instrument and the role it has played in the life of the university and the city. That attachment deserves our respect.

We have heard those concerns. In May 2026, the university retained Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray - a former university administrator, accomplished pipe organist and co-chair of a national consortium that connects universities with Veterans Affairs Canada, the Royal Canadian Legion and the Canadian Armed Forces - to engage directly with those who hold deep connections to the instrument, to provide clarity to a challenging and emotional issue and to advise us on finding the organ a suitable new home.

Dr. Summerby-Murray spent a week in Edmonton and on our campus, meeting with members of the organ and music communities, university faculty and alumni, Casavant Frères and Veterans Affairs Canada. We are grateful to everyone who took part. Your knowledge of this instrument and your candour made the report stronger, and the consultation - together with the archival record it surfaced - has brought welcome clarity to questions that had been a source of ambiguity.

The university received Dr. Summerby-Murray's report on June 4, 2026, and we have taken some time to consider his conclusions and recommendations. His final report is available here: The future of the 1978 Casavant Frères Organ, Convocation Hall: A consultation report to the University of Alberta | Robert Summerby-Murray.

We accept all the report's findings and will be guided by its recommendations as we move into the next phase of the organ's life. We thank Dr. Summerby-Murray for the rigour, sensitivity and breadth of his work. The report supports the university's conclusion that the options for retaining the organ in Convocation Hall have been fully explored and endorses a responsible transition to a community partner able to give the instrument the prominence it deserves.

The organ is a war memorial:
One of the most important contributions of this report is the clarity it brings to the memorial status of the instrument. Drawing on the archival record - including the transfer of the memorial designation from the original 1925 organ and the documented intent of the university at the time of the 1978 installation - the report concludes, without ambiguity, that Casavant Opus 3358 is a war memorial. The university accepts this finding fully. This fact must be, and will be, honoured and respected in every decision about the organ's future.

The report is also clear that honouring the organ's memorial status does not require it to remain in Convocation Hall. What it requires is that its memorial character be carried forward with care. We are committed to doing exactly that.

Our commitments:
In response to Dr. Summerby-Murray's four recommendations, the University of Alberta commits to the following:

Finding the organ a suitable home:
The university will enter into a formal agreement with a community organization that has a suitable venue and the capacity to receive, install and maintain Casavant Opus 3358. In keeping with the principles developed by the university and affirmed in the report, the ideal partner should:

• be public-facing, so that the organ is available for performance, practice and community engagement;
• demonstrate the capacity to receive and install the instrument within a reasonable timeframe;
• commit to a formal, public rededication of the organ as a war memorial; and
• provide access to the instrument for scholarly use.

The university has received several serious inquiries and is pursuing them responsibly.

Honouring its memorial:
We will continue to work with Veterans Affairs Canada and the Royal Canadian Legion to ensure the rededication is carried out properly once the organ is installed in its new home. We will also enhance the existing war memorial at the entrance to Convocation Hall, so that the honour rolls - bearing the names of members of our community who served, and who fell, in the First and Second World Wars - feature prominently, and the memorial function of the space is renewed for future generations.

This commitment reflects a long institutional relationship with Canada's veterans, from President Tory's creation of the "Khaki University" after the First World War to our work today with the Royal Canadian Legion and the military-veteran-family community on campus.

Professional disassembly, storage, and preservation:
The university has allocated a budget for the professional disassembly and appropriate storage of the organ, under the supervision of a qualified organ technician, until its new home is secured. Before any disassembly begins, we will commission a full recording of the instrument in its current space, preserving its sound for musicians, researchers and the historical record.

Clear and prompt communication:
We know that relocating the organ will disappoint some members of our community. Dr. Summerby-Murray's report does not shy away from this, and neither will we: there is no outcome that will satisfy everyone. We respect the views of those who have advocated for the instrument, and we are grateful for their sustained engagement.

With that in mind, we commit to being clear, open and transparent about the organ's future - including our ongoing efforts to find it a suitable home. We will continue to engage with stakeholders, and we will share updates and timelines as they become available.

For more information on Dr. Summerby-Murray: External expert to assist with the future of the Convocation Hall organ.

For more information on the Convocation Hall renewal project: Convocation Hall Renewal and Convocation Hall, community, and the future of a shared space.