Inspired by war memorials across North America, Cochrane Legion member Todd Puzey brainstormed a way to improve the community’s cenotaph just in time to honour Canada’s 150th birthday and the Legion’s 90th year.
“I thought we could have a better park,” Puzey explained at the media conference, announcing the Cenotaph Enhancement project.
The project – scheduled to be completed by late-October/early-November – will erect a life-sized bronze statue of a Canadian solider from the First World War at the current Cochrane cenotaph, to “stand guard” over the memorial.
With two uncles who survived the war and as a legion member, Puzey said he has a special place in his heart for war monuments and the new addition will help in honouring all the lives lost.
“Most of our boys were lost in WWI,” Puzey said.
The project, inspired and spearheaded by Puzey, has been in the planning stages between Cochrane Legion members, the Town of Cochrane, the Chamber of Commerce, the Cochrane Foundation, Cochrane Rotary, Cochrane Lions, Cochrane Lionesses, Cochrane Activettes and other local businesses for the past couple of month, receiving “widespread verbal support.”
Cochrane Legion first vice-president Dave Usherwood, who is now taking the lead on the project, said legion members were “excited” to take the project on.
Keeping the enhancement project as local as possible, Studio West Bronze Foundry & Art gallery from Cochrane was awarded as the primary contractor with the design process already started.
“We are very pleased to do something to honour the First World War tour and people who served,” said Shirley Stephens-Begg, bronze foundry part owner and operator.
The bronze works owners have done several war monuments throughout Canada with Stephens-Begg estimating 15 war statues from Calgary to New Brunswick and “several places in between.”
The project will have six phases, starting with buying the bronze block and other materials. In order to keep the project moving forward, the initial cost of $25,000 for materials needs to be raised by mid-March.
With the “unanimously and unconditionally” support from the Cochrane Legion board of directors, there has been a dedicated bank trust account set up to coordinate donations and financial disbursements to facilitate the project.
The total estimate of the project is $120,000.
For more information on the project or to pledge/donate funds, contact Cochrane Legion Vice President David Usherwood by email at [email protected] or in person at the community Legion branch, located at 114 Fifth Ave.
