In March 2024, our Association successfully received a grant of $11,297.00 from Veterans Affairs Canada under the Commemorative Partnership Program for Phase III Extension of our Veterans Memorial. Additional funding was provided by the Town’s grant of $6,172.00 and $6,726.00 fundraised by our Association. In June, one of the two metal benches was replaced with a new cedar wood bench, with the original brass dedication plate re-embedded. Several minor repairs were also made to the flagstones around the monument. In October, 18 regimental service badges were engraved into the flagstone at the base of the monument, complementing the names of the 50 veterans engraved on the two pedestal tablets at the memorial during Phase II.
In March 2025, a storyboard detailing the history of the 2014 memorial, with text in both official languages and photos, was mounted on the site. The storyboard includes a QR code that, when scanned, takes the visitor on a five-minute walking audio tour of the memorial.
Ongoing refurbishing of the 2015 Dutch Canadian Friendship Tulip Garden at the memorial site, planted to mark the 70th anniversary of the original Dutch Canadian garden in Ottawa, has been ongoing since 2023 in partnership with our St. Francis of Assisi K-6 school. The graduating grade 6 students planted forget-me-not flowers as their legacy project in the spring of 2023, and in the fall of 2024, the next class planted new tulips among the forget-me-nots. In June 2025 a rock wall border was installed with new planting of forget-me-nots by our Association’s volunteers with help from Town staff.
The benches, tulip garden, and the engraved service badges, together with the storyboard that details the history of the monument, enhance the physical setting of the cenotaph and create a sense of “place” at our Town’s Veterans Memorial Park for generations to come. Our Veterans Memorial commands a place of honor during the July 1st Beaumont Hamel-Memorial Day and November 11th Armistice Day services.
All work on the benches, flagstone, and service badges was completed by the Grand Concourse Authority. We extend our gratitude to Gerry Boland Video Productions for creating a video detailing some of the history of the memorial, and to Bradley Power for voicing the storyboard audio script. Special thanks to the Town Council and staff for their support, and to the SFOA school for their work on the tulip garden. Our portion of the cost was fundraised at our 2023 Biscuits and Bingo event. Many thanks to our MHA Joedy Wall and MP Joanne Thompson for their active support of the new extension. We are indebted to Veterans Affairs Canada for their continuing financial support.
