Ahead of Remembrance Day this week, we visited my favourite war memorial. We've seen some pretty impressive ones, but this rather humble little one about an hour away has a special place in my heart.
A group of women from the Arthur area began planning and raising funds for this memorial in December of 1918, and it was unveiled in 1923. It was constructed by a local stonemason, and it was the first of Ontario's cenotaphs to be built of fieldstone. The stones themselves are the reason that this memorial is my favourite-- Arthur is a rural village, and the stones to build the memorial were gathered from the surrounding farms. They are, in just about the most literal sense possible, little pieces of home to honour those who never made it back.
Like many others, the Arthur Cenotaph has been updated to remember the Second World War and Korean War as well. The lists of names have also been expanded to include sons and daughters who served and returned as well as those who died. Although it is known that a few are still missing, the memorial features over 550 names.
