Lockerby Legion unveils new cenotaph in Sudbury south-end
It was an emotional moment at Sudbury's Lockerby Legion, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 564 Saturday, as members of the community gathered to unveil the new cenotaph.
According to members of the branch, the existing monument had begun to look old and was in need of a facelift.
"These stones, they're engraved now," said legion member Eddie Thompson.
"If a veteran dies, they forget about him after. He's now going to be here on this wall. The members of this branch are here on the wall."
It was Thompson who had the idea and got the ball rolling.
He started to price out material and approached a friend, Sudbury Wolves owner Dario Zulich for help.
"Remembering our veterans is so important," said Zulich. "I've always had a soft spot for that because I can't imagine anyone giving their lives for our country and they have to be remembered. So anytime the legion calls on me, I'm going to help out the best I can."
Thompson is part of a legacy. His father was one of the founding members of the legion. His daughter, Jennifer Huard, his now branch president.
"Everything went wonderfully today, I couldn't be more pleased," said Huard. "With everyone that we had in attendance, the weather cooperated, it was just fabulous."
The cenotaph is now further back on the legion's front yard. It was two walls of honour on either side and an engraved pathway of names of donors and people who helped make it possible.
There was a firearm salute, bagpipes, and bugle. There were also several speeches from some of the dignitaries in attendance.
"This is such a beautiful, beautiful ceremony for such a beautiful grounds. The cenotaph is completely redone. The name of the 230 veterans that are from this legion that have died for us is written on a stone in the ground as well as on the walls. It is just really, really moving to see," said Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas.
"You look at it and you know a ton of work has gone in to get to this wonderful place. It's volunteers, it's work from the community, it's our community coming together to show how good we can make things."
Nickel Belt Liberal MP candidate Marc Serre and Ward 9 city councillor Deb McIntosh were also in attendance.
Laurette Bechard and her children were at the ceremony and had a stone engraved in honour of her husband Jean William Bechard, who passed away last year.
"It's great honour to have his name up there and I know that he'll never be forgotten, we'll always remember him," said Laurette.
"It's fantastic - we're all feeling the same emotions. It's great that we have all of our families and everything represented," said daughter Theresa Bechard.
Work isn't finished yet. They plan on putting a clear coat over the names on the ground in advance of the Remembrance Day services.
The hope is, as some monuments are marking their 100th anniversaries around the region, this will be around for the next one hundred years, creating a legacy of the heroes who fought and died for our freedom.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Maple Leafs eliminated from NHL playoffs with Game 7 OT loss to Bruins
Sheldon Keefe told his players hockey history would remember them one way or another.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
What a judge's gag order on Trump means in his hush money case
A gag order bars Trump from commenting publicly on witnesses, jurors and some others connected to the matter. The New York judge already has found that Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, repeatedly violated the order, fined him US$9,000 and warning that jail could follow if he doesn't comply.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Pro-Palestinian protesters at USC comply with school order to leave their encampment
Protesters left a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Southern California early Sunday after they were surrounded by police and told they could face arrest if they didn’t go.
Israel says Hamas attacks a crossing point into Gaza, wounding 10 Israelis and forcing its closure
Hamas militants on Sunday attacked Israel's main crossing point for delivering humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, reportedly wounding several Israelis and prompting Israel to close the terminal.
Trudeau 'absolutely' best person to lead the Liberals in next election: LeBlanc says
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc insists he's not planning a leadership campaign to head the Liberal party, should current leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resign, seemingly quashing rumours he's planning to make a move for his boss' job.
Bombarded with spam texts? Stats show the problem is getting worse in Canada
In particular, messages that involve phishing — an attack where a scammer tries to trick the recipient into clicking a malicious link, downloading malware or sharing sensitive information — are on the rise.