Rush has helped ensure that a permanent memorial to Neil Peart will become a reality in the drummer’s hometown of St. Catharines, Ontario.
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson presented a $785,000 cheque to the Neil Peart Commemorative Task Force and City of St. Catharines staff, bringing the fundraising campaign for the planned memorial at Lakeside Park to its $1-million goal. The donation came from a portion of the proceeds generated by VIP experiences and packages sold during Rush’s current Fifty Something tour.
The contribution also caps a fundraising effort that began following Peart’s death in January 2020. Lee previously pledged $1 from every ticket sold during his 2023 My Effin’ Life book tour, while fans and other supporters helped push the campaign toward its target.
The memorial will be built beside the existing Neil Peart Pavilion at Lakeside Park. Peart spent much of his youth in nearby Port Dalhousie, and those summers later inspired Rush’s 1975 song Lakeside Park, from the album Caress of Steel.
Designed by sculptor Morgan MacDonald of The Newfoundland Bronze Foundry, the installation will feature two bronze sculptures depicting Peart at different points in his life, connected by a pathway with interpretive and experiential elements exploring his personal and musical legacy.
The fundraising campaign officially closes October 15, while the city currently expects the memorial to open in late 2027.
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