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The Memorial
Park and
Cenotaph
 The
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. |
