Location: Northumberland County N 44 10.903 W 78 03.998
At the north-east corner of County Road 45 and Line 2.
This memorial is the cenotaph of the Alderville First Nation, who proudly served in the World Wars with one of the highest per capita enlistments of any First Nations band. The details of the cenotaph can best be described with the following words taken from a plaque beside the memorial:
ALDERVILLE FIRST NATION CENOTAPH
The cenotaph was constructed in 1927 by Alf McKeel and Son of Campbellford who
supplied the design and donated the materials for the project while the hard physical
labour was supplied by many volunteers. The Native Indian men of Alderville used hand
shovels and a lot of muscle power to stir the cement which makes up the cenotaph. The
women spent hours cooking and supplying meals for these hardworking volunteers.
SIGNIFICANCE
The cube on the very top symbolizes the four corners of the earth. The three globes
beneath the cube symbolize the Holy Trinity. The three large pillars supporting the above
symbolize the three Holy Virtues - Faith, Hope and Charity. The square base on which the
cenotaph stands, symbolizes the four freedoms - Freedom of Speech; Freedom of Religion;
Freedom from Fear and Freedom of the Press.
The nine large cubes situated around the cenotaph represent the nine men who were killed in
World War I. The chain that is comprised of 35 links that encloses the cenotaph
and is fastened to the nine cubes represents the 35 residents who served in that war
and at the same time represents eternity.
The land on which this cenotaph is situated was donated by William Loukes Sr.
Restoration of the Alderville First Nation Cenotaph was completed in May 1992 as a
co-operative project of the
Alderville First Nation and the Rotary Club of Cobourg
A further restoration was completed in 2000 as part of a Millenium Project.
Marker text:
Top plaque:
TO THE HONOUR AND GLORY OF THOSE FROM
THE ALDERVILLE RESERVE WHO SERVED
IN WORLD WAR I 1914 - 1918
KILLED IN ACTION
Wm. BLAKER
JOS. BLAKER
VIC BLAKER
AUS. BEAVER
S. COMEGO
Wm. HAGAR
W. FRANKLIN
A. SIMPSON
ROBT. TOBIGO
SERVED
JOHN BEAVER
ED BEAVER
ROSS BEAVER
ISAAC BEAVER
C. BLAKER
SAM BLAKER
H. COMEGO
A. COMEGO
P. COMEGO
S. COMEGO
ALEX COMEGO
D.M. CROWE
S. CROWE
JOS. CHUBB
A. CHUBB
M. MARSDEN
N. MARSDEN
R. FRANKLIN
S. HAGAR
NOAH SMOKE
S. SMOKE
M. SMOKE
Wm. STEVENSON
D. WHEELER
A. TOBIGO
J. TOBIGO
"THEIR NAMES LIVE FOREVERMORE"
Bottom plaque:
TO THE HONOUR AND GLORY OF THOSE FROM
THE ALDERVILLE RESERVE WHO SERVED
IN WORLD WAR II 1939 - 1945
KILLED IN ACTION
ARTHUR BEAVER
WILBURN CHUBB
SERVED
ALVIN BEAVER
EDWARD BEAVER
IVAN BEAVER
WILLIAM BIGWIN
GEORGE BLAKER
LAWSON CHASE
STEWART COMEGO
GERALD GRAY
ALVIN HAGAR
AMOS MARSDEN
THOMAS MARSDEN
EVERETT SIMPSON
ELDON SMOKE
REGINALD SMOKE
ROY SMOKE
VELBURN SMOKE
LEO SMOKE
CALVIN SMOKE
LOUIS GRAY
JOHN LOUKES
JAMES SMOKE
JOHN SUNDAY
WILFORD SUNDAY
WILFRED SUNDAY
CECIL TOBICO
ARTHUR WHEELER
ALFRED LOUKES
DANIEL SIMPSON
Wm. STEVENSON
EPHRIAM BLAKER
JOHN BEAVER
OLIVER CROWE
WALTER CROWE
ROBERT FRANKLIN
FRED MARSDEN
LAWRENCE MARSDEN
BRUCE MARSDEN
BEN CHUBB
NORMAN MARSDEN SR.
NORMAN MARSDEN JR.
RAYMOND BLAKER
LESLIE MARSDEN
HOWARD SMOKE
ROBERT MARSDEN
LEONARD SMOKE
DELBERT BEAVER
ALBERT BIGWIN
CLIFFORD SMOKE
EARL SMOKE
STEWART SMOKE
DONALD SMOKE
ELMER BEAVER
BEATRICE SMOKE
JAMES MARSDEN
PERCY A. MARSDEN
BASIL SUNDAY
MORLEY SUNDAY
CARL SUNDAY
CLARENCE SUNDAY
GERALD LOUKES
VIETNAM WAR
DARRELL MARSDEN
ROBERT BAKER
"THEIR NAMES LIVE FOREVERMORE"