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.

Brantford - South African War Memorial

 
 
Location:  City of Brantford     N 43° 08.294 W 080° 16.160
Corner of Brant Avenue and Colborne Street West.
 
"The Boer War Memorial is located in Jubilee Terrance Park that was officially designated as a park during the city celebrations of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The base of the Monument continues to be surrounded by a planting bed as it was originally.

During the Boer threat in South Africa in 1899, thirty Brantford men volunteered to serve with either the Canadian or British units. The victory of the Boer War gave the City of Brantford their first war heroes and war casualties, therefore, a memorial was commissioned. The Monument was the artistic work of Hamilton McArthur of Ottawa. A soldier of the Queen ready for battle is mounted on the granite base. On each of the four sides of the base are bronze panels. One pictures the three Brantford heroes who were fatalities and the remaining depict the respective battles where each lost his life. The four panels show the attack on the Boer position at Spion Kop where Lieut. Osborne fell; Hart's River where Corporal Sherritt lost his life; the defense of the british guns, at the battle of Belfast where Lieut. Builder suffered fatal injuries.  In 1903, the Boer War Memorial was dedicated on Victory Day."  
taken from: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM9PCR_Boer_War_Memorial_Brantford_Ontario

A Howitzer cannon once accompanied the memorial, but due to neglect and weathering, it was recently removed.





Marker text:
FOR
QUEEN
AND
EMPIRE!

KILLED IN ACTION
ANGLO BOER WAR
1899 - 1902

SHERRITT

OSBORNE

BUILDER

Beachburg

 

Location: Renfrew County

                 GPS:  N 45.727473  W 76.848286

 

 

Situated in Upper Ottawa Valley, Beachburg, founded in 1835, is a small community in Whitewater Region. To get to it, you have to like driving on rural roads, where there is not that much to see in between the small communities in that area. Nevertheless, it is a scenic area, and depending of what  you like to see, farms, some houses, maybe an old church or cemetery. I do not know that area that well, but if you ever decide to explore that part of the Whitewater Region, better make sure you have enough gas in your tank. Personnally,  I would not venture with less than 1/4 of a tank.

Flanked by 2 flagpoles and a bench, the Beachburg Cenotaph, erected in 1959 by the Beachburg Lions Club, is situated where Beachburg Rd and Robertson Rd meet. This 6 foot tall, well maintained cenotaph, (maybe refurbished like many were in 2018) honours local soldiers who lost their lives in the two World Wars.

Thanks again to Louise Bellec for the photos and description.

LEST WE FORGET.

 

 

Marker:

IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF THE MEN

OF WESTMEATH TOWNSHIP

WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE TWO GREAT WARS

1914 - 1918

BROWNLEE, HUGH ED

COFFEY, DONALD

DOUGHERTY, LYLE G.

DAVIDSON, ARNOLD

ETHIER, LOUIS

GERVAIS, LeMOINE

GRAHAM, GEORGE L.

GRAHAM, VERNON

HOWARD, WILLIS

McGONEGAL, JOHN

MUCKLE, WILLIAM R.

PATTERSON, JAMES

SMITH, J. HAROLD C.

THOMPSON, WALTER

1939 - 1945

BERRY, CLINTON B.

BLACKMORE, WILLIAM

BROMLEY, GERALD
CARNEGIE, WELDON

COSTELLO, WILSON

DAVIDSON, WESLEY C.

ECKFORD, STEWART
FOY, CARSON

FOY, WARRINGTON
GERVAIS, EDWARD
GERVAIS, RENAUD
HARNEY, FRANCIS
KENNY, ELMER S.

LABOW, J. IRVIN
LADEROUTE, KENNETH
LaFRENIER, NEIL

LAMPKIE, LYLE
LAPORTE, HAILAN
MELLISH, JOHN
MUTTON, ELMER
PRESCOTT, SIDNEY
ROBINSON, MERVIN
ROLLINS, GORDON
WILSON, ROBERT H.

ERECTED BY THE BEACHBURG LIONS CLUB 1959

Blind River

 
Location:  Algoma District     N 46.18675    W -82.95626
On the north side of the Trans-Canada Highway, immediately west of the bridge.
 
This memorial consists of a tall stone cairn with two brass plaques.  The top plaque lists the names of those brave men who died in the World Wars.  The bottom plaque recognizes the Korean War, although no names are listed with this war.  The small park is situated across the road from the local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, where this memorial was originally located. It was moved to its present site in a small memorial park in 1975.  There are no records of when the cairn was originally constructed, all the town's records were lost in a fire in 1954.  The park is in a very pleasant spot alongside the water, with Canada Geese frequenting the grassy areas.

I am told by a family member that the name Joseph Ouellette, should actually be spelled Joseph Willette, 102nd Batt, Reg. #1003958.
 


Marker text:
Top plaque:
TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF
BLIND RIVER & VICINITY WHO
SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES
DURING WORLD WARS I. AND II

1914 - 1918
ATKINSON, GORDON C.
BERGERON, JOSEPH
CAMPBELL, WILBERT
CHISHOLM, DONALD
CURRIE, DANIEL
DALLAS, THOMAS C.
DAWKINS, GUY
DESMARAIS, FRANK
DUFOUR, ALFRED F.
FORTIN, JOSEPH
GEORGE, JAMES
GERMAINE, GEORGE
GREEN, ALBERT
HAWKINS, GEORGE

JODOUIN, EMILE
LANG, WILLIAM
LANTAIN, MARCEL
LARIVIERE, FRANK
LAVIGNE, ALEXANDER
LIZOTTE, FRANCIS
OUELLETTE, JOSEPH
OUELLETTE, PAUL
SCULLY, PATRICK
TASSE, FRANK
TESSIER, WILLIAM
TREMBLAY, JOSEPH
WALLACE, HUGH

1939 - 1945
ALLEN, HENRY
BAILLARGEON, AIME
BENEDICT, GEORGE
GOULDING, STANLEY
JUILLETTE, MERVIN
LIZOTTE, GERALD

McDONALD, JOHN L.
PILON, EMILE
QUINN, JOHN
STROM, WALTER
TIMMERMANS, ARIE F.
TREMBLAY, E.

"LEST WE FORGET"
ERECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF BLIND RIVER
 


Lower plaque:
KOREA
1950 - 1953