St. Thomas

 
Location:  Elgin County     N 42.77795   W -81.19091
Corner of Centre Street and Moore Street.
 
 
The new Veterans Memorial Garden in St. Thomas was unveiled in October 2017 by the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutentant-Governor of Ontario.  The Gardens brings together two memorials from other parts of the town, and also introduces and new sculpture.  A stone walkway and gardens join all these memorial in an attractive setting.  The two previous memorials moved here are the Great War memorial, which stood in front of the St. Thomas-Elgin Hospital, and the WWII/Korean War cenotaph from its Talbot Street location.   These two impressive memorials have under-gone a total refurbishment and fit very nicely in the new Veterans Memorial Garden.
A new, life-sized, bronze statue of a an Afghanistan soldier was also dedicated at the same time.  The new statue was created by Sudbury-based sculptor Tyler Fauvelle.  “It’s a privilege for me to install this artwork during the Remembrance period,” said Fauvelle. “This sculpture is about connection. The Great War Memorial and the Cenotaph are both in the soldier’s line of sight. The sacrifices made of life, mind, body and spirit are connected through time, because freedom still has the same price.”

St. Thomas is also home to the Elgin Regiment, the 31st Combat Engineer Regiment and was home to the 91st Battalion in World War I.  A nearby mural captures the history of the military in this area in great detail.  The Elgin County Military Museum found in the west end of town is well worth a visit when visiting the area.  The local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, Lord Elgin Branch #41 is essential to the Remembrance Day activities and was crucial for the formation of this new memorial.
Hats off to the citizens of St. Thomas for their continued devotion to the military and for their new Veterans Memorial Park.
 

 
 

Marker text:
Central Cenotaph:
Front:
IN COELO QUIES EST
LEST WE FORGET

1914 - 1918
1939 - 1945
KOREAN
1950 - 1953
AFGHANISTAN
2001 - 2014

NATO

PEACEKEEPERS

THEY GAVE THEIR TOMORROW
FOR OUR TODAY
 




Great war statue:
ERECTED
TO THE MEMORY
OF THE
MEN AND WOMEN
OF
ELGIN COUNTY
WHO SERVED
IN THE GREAT WAR
1914 - 1918




Afghanistan Statue:
Dedicated to the
Men & Women
of
Canada's Armed
Forces
Who served in
Afghansitan
2001 - 2014