Members of Morden’s Royal Canadian Legion Branch #11 marched from the Legion hall on North Railway St. down to Confederation Park Sunday afternoon to rededicate the community’s war memorial, which recently underwent a major restoration.
The cenotaph was built in 1921 by the Town of Morden and the RM of Stanley to honour the local men who served and died in the First World War. Additional names have been added in the years since, including for those who served in the Second World War and the Korean War.
After standing for over a century, the memorial had begun to show its age. The restoration brought it back to its original look, getting rid of the green tint that had accumulated and ensuring faded names could once again be read clearly.
The short ceremony included remarks from Legion reps and municipal leaders.
“We can’t forget our fallen heroes that have made us what we are today in a peaceful world, in our part of the world,” noted Coun. Gord Maddock on behalf of the City of Morden, thanking the Legion for spearheading the restoration efforts.
“It is as important now as it has ever been to remember those that gave so much in the darkness of war,” said Stanley Reeve Ike Friesen. “There are still many stories in our community of those who served, and even though those stories are often hard to hear, they are also encouraging because it is important to remember the future that they fought for.”
“As it stands here in front of us looking refreshed and clean, let us remember all the fallen comrades that suffered and sacrificed so much for us and our country,” said Legion member Tammy Petkau. “We restore this war memorial in their honour. It will be here for our children, our grandchildren, and generations to come.”
