Ontario War Memorials: Cobourg - Afghanistan Memorial

Saturday 5 February 2022

Cobourg - Afghanistan Memorial

Location: Northumberland County N 43.97316 W -78.16068

In front of the St. John's Ambulance building, 700 D'Arcy Street.

The following is taken from the Veterans Affairs website: https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/national-inventory-canadian-memorials/details/10211

" Cobourg’s military history reveals that significant contingents of soldiers participated during the War of 1812, the First and Second World Wars and later it played a role in Canada’s post war defense plan by opening the No. 26 Central Ordnance Depot, in 1953. At capacity, the Depot employed over 700 military and civilian workers and stored over 30,000 items, such as, weapons, munitions and combat vehicles for development and testing. The Depot was later named Cobourg Forces Station in 1966 and is now the location of the Cobourg Afghanistan Memorial. The memorial was unveiled on November 8, 2019.

A LAV III monument is a permanent community symbol of remembrance which pays tribute to our Canadian Armed Forces who served and sacrificed in Afghanistan from 2001-2014. It is constructed from previously used LAV III hulls and remnant parts which have been decommission by the government. They are actual-size, look real, but are not functional. A LAV III is a Light Armoured Vehicle made of steel, supported by an 8-wheel drive suspension and powered by a 6-cylinder 350 horsepower diesel engine. It can weigh as much as 16,000 kg, carry various weapons, hold up to 10 passengers and reach speeds of 100 km/h.

The LAV III Monument Selection Committee, which is chaired by Major General (ret’d) David Fraser, a former Canadian Commander of Afghanistan South in 2006, along with other Afghanistan Veterans, award the Monuments while supplies last. This is a community sponsored monument. Each monument includes a commemorative plaque and costs $17,500, plus applicable sales tax. The original cost of an operational LAV III ranged from $1-4 Million depending upon the configuration. The LAV III is made by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada in London, Ontario, Canada.

The Town also dedicated the Ontario Street overpass to Captain Nichola Kathleen Sarah Goddard, who became the first female soldier killed, in 2006, during combat in Afghanistan."

In addition to the impressive LAV, there is also a stone with a large emblem of the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps, who once operated out of this facility. There is also a memorial stone and plaque dedicated to Major Michelle Knight Mendes, who died during her service in Afghanistan in 2009.

Cobourg is also the home of the Highway for Heroes movement that saw hundreds of local citizens lining the bridges of the 401 Highway during repatriation ceremonies, to pay their respects for those killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan. A signboard display tells the story of Canada's role in Afghanistan.