City giving the Cenotaph a clean up - will mistakes on the plaque describing the memorial get fixed as well?

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

July 18th, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

We were advised this morning that the errors on the plaque have been corrected.

Ed Keenleyside just might be sleeping a little better these days – The Cenotaph that is tucked beside city hall on Brant Street is getting a clean-up.

Keenleyside with partial monument

Ed Keenleyside at the Cenotaph.

Keenleyside has been researching the names of the 82 casualties etched on the Cenotaph with plans to publish an informative book, which will put faces and personalities to those who died so many years ago.

“I have information on all but one name and that person, J. W. Williamson, is among the 44 World War II fatalities. If anyone can identify this person Keenleyside would be most grateful. Please contact him at at ekeenleyside@cogeco.ca if you can help.

But that isn’t Keenleyside’s biggest issue – he was close to spitting nickels when he say the errors in the small plaque to the rear of the monument explain the memorial.

Within the handful of sentences describing this important monument said Keenleyside DATE are the following mistakes:

1. There are 38 World War I casualties listed on the memorial, not 39.
2. The 38 fatalities listed are soldiers from the Great War (or World War I ), not from the Second World War.
3. There are 44 local service people listed from the Second World War, not 43.

Keenleyside - plaque wording

Ed Keenleyside identified a number of significant error on this plaque.

In addition to the embarrassing errors on the plaque, Keenleyside wonders why the Korean War Veterans are recognized at the base of the Cenotaph but the Afghanistan War Veterans are not recognized.

Ed Keenleyside can’t understand why the plaque that explains the history of the war memorial he is standing beside has so many errors on it.

The Gazette hasn’t had an opportunity to check and see if the piece of metal with the errors inscribed has been replaced. We expect to hear from Keenleyside on this matter.

The cenotaph was dedicated in April 1922 by Lord Byng (Govenor General of Canada) and was originally located in a park setting on the downtown shore of Lake Ontario. The memorial was moved to its present location after the construction of the new City Hall in 1962.

Remembered, respected

Remembered, respected. Now to ensure that it is accurate and up to date.

The Cenotaph consists of five pieces of granite, stacked in a plinth and is topped with a sculpture of a World War I soldier cast in bronze. The names of 38 WWI fatalities from Burlington and Nelson Township are engraved on both sides of the column. On the back of the column the names of 17 key WWI Canadian battle locations such as Vimy Ridge, Arras, Mons, Ypres and the Somme are engraved. On the front of the column is a large bronze plaque four feet by three feet in size, with the names inscribed of 44 service people from this area who died in WWII.

Repair work will include: removal of loose corrosion products and accumulated dirt from the bronze statue, plaque and granite base; application of hot and cold wax to the bronze statue and plaque; filling in small bronze losses with wax; surface cleaning the bronze plaque and replacing missing hardware; replacing iron hardware with copper or stainless steel hardware; re-coating the lead lettering with black paint as required; replacing failing mortar on the granite base and surrounding pad.

Keenleyside spots errors on plaque describing the war memorial.

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2 comments to City giving the Cenotaph a clean up – will mistakes on the plaque describing the memorial get fixed as well?

  • Ed Keenleyside

    July 19th marked the completion of the most extensive restoration of the Burlington Cenotaph since it was unveiled in April 1922. Expert conservators were busy for three weeks painstakingly and expertly restoring this very important reminder of our citizens who paid the supreme sacrifice so many years ago. When Pepper Parr interviewed me for this article there were a few typos on the small public art plaque. Those have now been corrected, thanks to the diligent work of Angela Paparizo, Burlington’s Manager of Arts and Culture.
    I am also happy to say that I have also identified all 82 casualties on the Cenotaph. It has been my privilege to put faces and personalities to each of these local heroes in a book that I hope will be published next year.
    Please take the time to stop and admire the Burlington Cenotaph – it looks like new. Thank you to the City for making sure this monument is not forgotten.

  • Centerline

    And hopefully it will be completed by November 11th