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The Memorial Park and Cenotaph 

The Richmond CenotaphThe Cenotaph consists of an eight-foot cross, made of dark polished Barre granite from Quebec, and supported by a Stanstead grey base. Behind the cross is a three-foot fieldstone wall that contains two bronze plaques. The inscriptions on the plaques read: "In memory of those who served" and "We will remember them".

The cross is illuminated with floodlights year round, and Christmas lights are added during the Christmas season. The Richmond and District Branch 625 of The Royal Canadian Legion also maintains a wreath at the Cenotaph year round.

The erection of the Cenotaph had been sponsored by the Richmond and District Branch 625 of The Royal Canadian Legion as a community project. A Patriotic Trust Fund, which had been started at the end of WWII to build a suitable Memorial, was turned over to the Legion Branch at the time of the amalgamation of Goulbourn township. When the decision was made to build a Cenotaph, the Branch started an intensive fund-raising campaign to supplement the Trust Fund, which met with great success.

It came to my attention recently, that the story of just how we came to have a Cenotaph (and Memorial Park) in Richmond was worth repeating and the following was recounted by John Harrison at my request.  Thanks John!  W Ryan editor

From the Richmond Legion Branch Bulletin article September 2003

"After WWI ex-servicemen and residents in the Richmond area donated towards a Memorial remembering those who had been killed in past wars in the service of their country.  This money had been held in trust in the Bank of Nova Scotia with minimal interest.  When our Branch was formed this fund was reinvested as The Patriotic Trust Fund and by 1984 had increased to approximately $1500.  Hoping to have a memorial built outside the Richmond Community Centre using this fund as a 'starting point' an application for monetary assistance was made to the Wintario fund. It was rejected as it didn't fall within the category of "Culture, History and Recreation". If a Memorial to the fallen is not Culture or History then what is??

My next term as President gave me the opportunity to press on with the idea of a cenotaph for Richmond.  At that time (mid 1986) Gamble's garage at the corner of McBean and Perth streets became vacant and the property was then owned by the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton.

Rumours were rife that a used car dealership was very interested in acquiring the site. On behalf of our Branch executive I, as President, then responded to an editorial in the Stittsville news dated Dec10th 1986 regarding the disposition of this property.   I would like to quote from that letter.

Quote:  " May I therefore request that Council do their utmost to obtain this property and develop it as a Memorial Park and we in the Richmond Legion Branch will once again apply ourselves to raising the funds (hopefully with more success than last time) and have a suitable Memorial erected on that site at no cost to the Township.   We owe it to the present residents of Richmond to have at least one corner in the village which is not a commercial outlet.  We owe it to the past residents of Richmond who donated money for the Memorial. We owe it to those of the village who did not return from war service so that they could see a corner of the village transformed to one of beauty."  End quote.

This letter caught the attention of the Mayor of Goulbourn Township (Mr. Anton Wytenburg) who immediately and enthusiastically endorsed this proposal.  That is some of the early 'groundwork' which took place.  The Township bought the property and in October 1987 and, in consultation with the Branch, developed a park plan with the site of a cenotaph incorporated in it.

An open meeting for the public was held in the Branch Hall on September 7th, 1988 to submit designs and further discuss the wording for the plaques.  It was agreed that the wording would not include specific names but worded in such a way that nobody could be offended if a name should be missed off, we chose "To those who served". A final design agreement and wording was then reached and tenders placed that week for a) the concrete base and plinth, b) the rear wall of stone and c) the granite cross and plaques with a deadline of November 5th in order to have our Remembrance service at the cenotaph on November 11th.    

A bit ambitious you might say.  Well, on top of that, an appeal went out for donations for the creation of the Richmond Memorial.  The response was fantastic.  The concrete footings and base, the Cross (made of Quebec Granite), the wall of local stone and built by John Atkinson (a professional mason), and the two wall plaques were all completed by November 5th.  Donations from every service club and organisation, every business and over 148 private and family donations were received.  The total was $9022.66 (and there were more donations at later dates) and along with the original Patriotic Trust Fund of $2600 gave us a total of $11,622.66.  The total cost of the cenotaph was $9,500 leaving us with a balance of approximately $2,200 in the Trust Fund for repairs, flowers etc. over the future years.

As almost every village resident had, in one form or another, donated towards this project we kept our promise AT NO COST TO THE TOWNSHIP!!  The hard work and dedication of the Branch Executive (with President Comrade Brian Beyer) and the Cenotaph Committee (with myself as Chairman) reached fruition on Sunday November 6th 1988 when the Cenotaph Dedication Service was held on a fairly mild and sunny afternoon.   We were especially pleased and proud that the former Minister of Veteran Affairs, the Rt.Hon. George Hees gave the address and laid the first wreath.   We were also honoured to hold the first Remembrance Service on the following Friday 11th, the first of many.

Ten years later on July 16th 1998, a severe storm swept through Richmond and the high winds blew the cross at the cenotaph in Richmond Memorial Park backwards against the wall breaking the cross just below the cross arms and severely cracking the wall.  

The new cross at the cenotaph (a replica of the original) and repairs to the wall were completed by mid-October at the cost of the township and its insurance, and there was no cost to the Branch.  The broken upper portion is now in front of flowers at the entrance to the Legion Hall.

Having read this short history through again, I realise that it appears that I am "blowing my own trumpet"!!  Well I guess that I am doing just that!!  I am very proud and honoured to have been instrumental in getting the park and cenotaph built in a very prominent corner in the village.

That doesn't mean that the efforts and hard work of so many dedicated legionnaires and the monetary and personal support of the Richmond public is being overlooked. Without them, all the blowing in the world would have been fruitless!!  This interest and concern has continued through the years with 100% co-operation from the township parks staff and, for the past few years, with Colleen Jones and Randy and their 2 boys taking charge of the flowers.

I am pleased that I can continue (in a limited capacity) to act as Cenotaph Committee Chairman as I know that I don't have to 'go it alone', help has always been available for which we are all very grateful.

As in all the previous years since 1988, see you at the cenotaph on November 11th!

John H. Harrison
Chairman.
Cenotaph Committee.

  John Passed in 2010.

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