Surviving members of Rush have raised $1 million for late drummer Neil Peart’s memorial in St. Catharines, ON.
CKTB News reports that Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson presented the Neil Peart Commemorative Task Force Fundraising Sub-Committee and City staff a cheque for $785,000 to help it reach the $1 million goal.
Rush donated a portion of proceeds from the VIP experiences and packages sold for their recent Fifty Something Tour. Geddy Lee also donated $1 from every ticket sold for his book tour to support the memorial.
The memorial at Neil Peart Pavilion in Lakeside Park was created by artist Morgan MacDonald, whose concept features two bronze sculptures depicting Peart in his younger and later years connected with a pathway of interpretive panels that feature facts about the late drummer’s life.
City council will meet to determine next steps, with the memorial expected to open some time in late 2027.
Peart grew up in Port Dalhousie, a waterfront community in St. Catharines, where he lived into his teenage years and worked a summer job at Lakeside Park, which he wrote about in the Rush song, “Lakeside Park.”
He briefly played drums in a St. Catharines band called Hush, before joining Lee and Lifeson in Rush in 1974.
“After years of dedicated work by the Neil Peart Commemorative Task Force and the incredible community support that brought us near the finish line, this remarkable contribution from RUSH secures our $1-million fundraising goal,” said Eric Lamothe, City Manager, Community Programs and Parks.
“This public art memorial will be far more than a tribute to Neil Peart; it elevates the park into a world-class cultural landmark,” he added. “We are thrilled to see a space that is already a beloved destination for residents and tourists become a global beacon for enthusiastic music fans to gather, reflect, and celebrate an icon for generations to come.”