Wednesday 27 May 2020

Renfrew - RCAF Memorial Park

 
Location:  Renfrew County    


N 45.475693  W 76. 697957
Between Elgin Ave. W. and Ready Ave. on the east side of Bonnechere River.
 


This memorial might be overlooked as it is situated in a residential area a few blocks away from the main road. It is at the end of 3 dead ends streets and it is best to go by Hincks Ave. W. as it is the shortest way to get to the cenotaph, also the sign of the park is located there.
 
Although at one time there used to be a beach, which has been closed, there is not much to that park except a bench overlooking the Bonnechere River and the cenotaph honouring airmen killed on active service. The memorial stands in the middle of the park, near the river and consists of a flagpole and a concrete cairn resting on a cement support. Nearby is a tree commemorating the 60th anniversary of Renfrew's Royal Air Force Association 1954-2014. Due to weather and years, the writing on the plaque at the tree disappeared over time but I got the transcript from my research on the internet. (Ottmem,blogspot.com)
**Thanks to Louise Bellec for the great photos and the description.

 
Marker:
IN MEMORY OF AIRMEN
KILLED ON ACTIVE SERVICE

DORZEK, A.A
BURWELL, A.J
JOHNSTON, W.S
SCOTT, L.G
JORDAN, H.C
MEREDITH, F
MC MAHON, J.A
STEWART, M.W
ST. LOUIS, J.C
BROWN, J.A
BROWN, W.L
GRACE, J.P
HALE, R.W
JOBSON, S.W
CRAM, M.
JONES, T.R

ERECTED BY 433 (CHAMPLAIN) WING
R.C.A.F. ASSOCIATION
RENFREW, ONTARIO 1968 A.D.
 


433 WING ANNIVERSARY TREE  Plaque:

R.C.A.F.A. 
433"CHAMPLAIN" WING
RENFREW ONTARIO
60th ANNIVERSARY
1954 - 2014



Saturday 23 May 2020

Renfrew

 


Location:  Renfrew County     N 45.473160    W  -76.685188

In front of the town hall, 127 Raglan St. S. (Highway 60)
 
The tall granite cenotaph in front of the town hall was a gift from Thomas Andrew Low, local entrepreneur, Member of Parliament and cabinet minister.  He originally paid to have the square turned into a park in 1918, then commissioned the cenotaph, which was dedicated in 1931, just months after his death.  A small plaque is dedicated to Low for his contribution to the town.  The Renfrew Great War Memorial was designed by Richard Hubert Millson & Cecil Burgess.
Originally it listed the men who died int he Great War and some of the key battles, later the names of those who died in WWII where added.

***Thanks you to Louise Bellec for the great photos.


 
Marker text:
Front:

1914-1918

YPRES

VIMY RIDGE

MONS

Middle part:

TO ALL
OUR
HONOURED
DEAD

"THEY SHALL NOT
GROW OLD,
AS WE THAT ARE LEFT
GROW OLD:
AGE SHALL NOT
WEARY THEM,
NOR THE YEARS
CONDEMN.
AT THE GOING DOWN
OF THE SUN AND IN
THE MORNING WE WILL
REMEMBER THEM."
 
 

On step:

GIFT OF
HON.  THOS A. LOW
 


 
Left Side:

1939 - 1945

REMEMBERING
THE MEN
OF THIS VICINITY
WHO DIED OVERSEAS

ROBERT A. BARR
HAROLD BARR
PATRICK BLIMKIE
JACK BOX
LOUIS BROWN
JAMES BROWN
ADRIAN J. BURWELL
EMERY CASTONGUAY
MILTON CHARBONNEAU
MERVYN CRAM
GLEN CROGIE
MICK DANYLUK
JEROME DOMINICO
ANTHONY DORZEK
WALLACE DUCHARME
HAROLD EADY
MICHAEL L. ENRIGHT
DONALD M. FROATS
G. GORDON FROATS
JOHN L. GAUTHIER
LLOYD GOODFELLOW
JOHN P. GRACE
ALLAN W. GUEST
RAYMOND HALE
DAVID R. HUNTER
WILLARD JAMIESON
JAMES A. DUNNE
THOMAS MULVIHILL
GARNET SCOBIE
 

Bottom:
KOREA
1950-1953
 



 
Back View:
1914
1918

SOMME

PASSCHENDAELE

AMIENS
 


 
(Top part of names)
REMEMBERING THE MEN OF THIS VICINITY
WHO DIED OVERSEAS

CAMERON MACKAY
LORNE V. FROOD
BOYD FROOD
FERGUSON BREMNER
MICHAEL A. BREMNER
MICHAEL NARLOCK
JOHN HASTINGS
NELSON DEMPSEY
SAMUEL DEMPSEY
GEORGE P. DUPUIS
JOHN TROY 
JAMES HARTY
WM. J. STEWART
ROBERT V. ANDERSON
ALFRED W. ANDERSON
DONALD BENNETT
GORDON HUGHES
ARTHUR TOMLINSON
GORDON H. MAIN
R. ROY AIRTH
DELPHISE LAPOINTE
PHILIP FREEMARK
WM. B. SCOTT
CLARENCE J. SIBARY
SAMUEL WIGHT
WILLIAM WIGHT
MACKIE B. MUIRHEAD
DOUGLAS MORROW
IAN MACKINNON
DUNCAN W. GRAHAM
JOHN LETERSKI
PETER CYBULSKI
ANTHONY CYBULSKI
JAMES B. LACEY
COLIN J. HICKEY
G. ALEX McLAREN
F.C. CARTER
FRANK McGOWAN
THOS. McGOWAN
JOSEPH R. DOYLE
THOS. HENRY CRUISE
RENE DESNOYERS
THOMAS DEGRAS
JOSEPH A. LAPLANTE
JOHN A. RYAN



(Bottom part)
CHARLES REID
DONALD McLEOD
SAMUEL T. WALKER
ARTHUR L. HENDRY
CHARLES L. PORTES
ALEX. SHIELDS
STANTON CLARK
C.J. LAVALEE
BERT BROWN
CLIFFORD BRISCOE
JOSEPH ST. DENIS
DANIEL MARRS
JAMES F. VALIQUETTE
GUY McINTYRE
BERNARD S. McINTYRE
FRANCIS McINTYRE
HARRY McINTYRE
G. CLIFFORD McARTHUR
ALLAN L. SMITH
WALTER W. SMITH
JOSEPH A. QUILTY
 


 
Right of cenotaph
1939 - 1945

REMEMBERING
THE MEN
OF THIS VICINITY
WHO DIED OVERSEAS

STEWART W. JOBSON
WILLIAM S. JOHNSTON
THOMAS R. JONES
HERB C. JORDAN
DUNCAN R. KIPPEN
FRED MEREDITH
GEORGE E. MILLAR
DANIEL J. MULVIHILL
ARTHUR McMAHON
ROY McNAB
EARL L. NICOL
HOWARD A. O'HARE
JAMES A. PHILLIPS
THOMAS PULCINE
HAROLD PUTINSKI
RAYMOND ROSE
EARL RICARD
LAWRENCE SCHWARTZ
LLOYD SCOTT
HAROLD SHEEHAN
MOODIE STEWART
HAMILTON R. STEWART
JOSEPH G. StLOUIS
ALFRED D. WADE
WARD WARREN
HECTOR WILSON
KEITH WILLIS
WILFRED R. GAGNON
ELLARD SEARSON
FRED McLEOD
 


Thomas Andrew Low Plaque:
THOMAS ANDREW LOW 1871 - 1931

TOM LOW CAME TO RENFREW IN 1889 A POOR
BOY. BY HARD WORK AND UNUSUAL FORESIGHT
HE HAD BY 1920 ORGANIZED FIVE FINANCIALLY
SUCCESSFUL MANUFACTURING COMPANIES.  IN
1928 HE UNITED HIS COMPANIES TO FORM
RENFREW INDUSTRIES LIMITED. HARD HIT BY
THE DEPRESSION AND THE SUDDEN DEATH OF
TOM LOW IN 1931 THE INDUSTRIES WERE SOLD
BY THE SHAREHOLDERS AS SEPERATE COMPANIES
IN 1936.  THRICE ELECTED TO PARLIAMENT TOM
LOW WAS APPOINTED TO THE CABINET IN 1921
AND IN 1923 WAS MADE MINISTER OF TRADE
AND COMMERCE.  IN 1918 HE LANDSCAPED THE
TOWN PARK WHICH WAS THEN NAMED LOW
SQUARE.  IN IT HE BUILT THE CENOTAPH BEARING
THE NAMES OF RENFREW AND DISTRICT WAR
DEAD.