Its inscription reads "May this monument be a lasting symbol of the gratitude of Hungarian refugees who, having escaped after the revolution in Hungary, were welcomed and provided a safe haven to rebuild their lives in Canada."

[9] There was controversy when it was installed, because the National Capital Commission, who owns the island, would not allow mention of the freedom fighters of the revolution on the monument as "monuments on NCC property may commemorate international events only if they had a significant and demonstrable impact on Canada and the Canadian way of life.

Along the base of the sculpture is a sound wave pattern that is engraved in the metal, and is written in the Algonquin language.

[11] The island was bought by the federal government for $1 from Annie Keefer,[12] at some point before her death in 1906.

[16] In 1964, there was a plan to move the Fraser School House museum to the island as one of the city's Canadian Centennial projects.