Repairs are done on the bronze statue “Kneeling in Remembrance” and the iconic artwork had been restored atop the Cloverdale Cenotaph in Veterans’ Square.
Now the statue will be unveiled and rededicated Aug. 19 in a special ceremony that the Cloverdale Legion expects to be well-attended.
Yvon Lehoux, Sergeant-at-Arms for the Cloverdale Legion, said there will be several dignitaries on hand for the ceremony, including Silver Cross Mother Sian Lesueur and Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke.
“There will be a marching contingent including police, veterans, and the (Cloverdale) Legion’s colour guard,” noted Lehoux. “The Silver Cross Mother will unveil the statue during the ceremony.”
Lesueur lost her son Garrett Chidley in 2009 during the war in Afghanistan.
The ceremony will start at 11 a.m. and run for about 45 minutes. Both Lesueur and Lehoux will give speeches.
Lehoux is encouraging everyone in the community to come out to the rededication ceremony.
He added he’s overjoyed the statue is back in place. As part of the restoration, “Kneeling in Remembrance” has been affixed to a small base about an inch thick.
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The statue was vandalized earlier this year when police say a suspect knocked it off the cenotaph at about about 1:30 a.m. on March 29. A suspect had now been arrested in the case, 42-year old Lukasz Paprocki, and will appear in court Sept. 18.
The 650-pound statue, crafted by André Gauthier, depicts a First World War soldier, kneeling and with a helmet in hand, paying his respects to a fallen comrade. It was first unveiled on Remembrance Day in 2006.
As a Royal Canadian Navy veteran, Lehoux feels intense pride and reverence every time he passes the cenotaph.
“The rededication ceremony is a poignant opportunity to educate the younger generation about what the cenotaph—really, a national monument—represents,” explained Lehoux. “We want to make people aware of the respect and reverence the cenotaph deserves.”
Lehoux said he’ll speak on behalf of all veterans about why the cenotaph (literally “empty tomb”) is important to all Canadians today.
“I want to get the message out that the cenotaph is not just for those who served in the First World War or the Second World War, or Korea,” explained Lehoux. “This cenotaph, and all cenotaphs across Canada, are also for our soldiers serving now, and those that have served recently, and those that have died for their country.
“This monument represents all who served—all the veterans. That is the message I want to get out.”
The rededication and unveiling ceremony will be held Aug. 19 beginning at 11 a.m. in Veterans’ Square in Cloverdale.
The Cloverdale Legion, 17567 57th Avenue, will be open to all afterward and both food and drink will be served.
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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