Saturday 21 September 2019

Blyth


 
Location:  Huron County     N 43 44.212   W -81 25.748
On the west side of London Road (County Road 4), at the Memorial Hall.
 

The cenotaph in the small community of Blyth is not your typical memorial.  At the turn of the previous century, most communities had already built a town hall or auditorium to host local and touring concerts and events, as well as being the seat of local government and community activities.  At the outbreak of World War I, Blyth had yet to erect such a structure.  Following the sacrifices made by the many young men from this community in the Great War, the community decided to honour their memory with the construction of a great hall.  Thus, in July 1920, the conerstone of the Blyth Memorial Community Hall was laid.  The Hall was officially opened to great fanfare a short eleven months later, in June 1921.  The building has acted as a centre of theatre and community events for almost 100 years.  Over the entrance way of the Memorial Hall can be found those iconic words "LEST WE FORGET", to remind everyone of the sacrifices made by the young men of this town.  Today, the Memorial Hall is home to the Blyth Festival Theatre.
In front of the theatre is a display of a small sculpture erected in 2005, The Year of the Veteran, by the local branch 420 Royal Canadian Legion and Ladies Auxiliary.  Several benches and gardens surround the sculpture and beside these can be found a mini-museum display of photos and information about the Memorial Hall and the role the town and its citizens played in the World Wars.
I have not included any marker text with this location, but its one of my favourites to be found in Ontario.  Please visit this lovely building and the display if you are in the area.
















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