By Mike Anderson

Walter Mackey, recovering from lower back surgery, can no longer carry the Canadian Flag as a member of the Sutton Legion’s colour party. But that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to honour the soldiers, sailors and airmen who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. 

Together with fellow Legion member Rod Beswick, Mackey led the charge to have the Sutton cenotaph replaced with a new design he believes will inspire a younger generation to remember the sacrifices veterans made to protect their freedoms. 

“I feel like we’ve done something for all the men and women who gave all their tomorrows for our todays,” Mackey said. 

The new cenotaph will feature a series of five granite tablets commemorating Canada’s participation in the Boer War, WWI, WWII, Korea, and Afghanistan, as well as U.N. Peacekeeping Missions.

The Sutton Cenotaph park, now Peace Park, will also receive a refresh with lighting upgrades, new landscaping and park benches that say “Lest We Forget”. 

“It’s going to be very smart, very modern, and yet it still has the dates and the places where are men and women fought. And, it will be diverse, which the Canadian Armed Forces now are. There will be no religious symbols on it,” Mackey said. 

Both Mackey and Beswick hope the new cenotaph and park will encourage more school visits and in-class discussions about Remembrance Day. 

“Once the cenotaph and park upgrades are finished we’re going around to let the schools know. We’ll probably do that close to Remembrance Day, so they might go home and tell their families about it. And, maybe some of their grandparents did serve, and the parents might want to have a look and bring the kids,” Mackey said. 

Mackie says the Keswick Cenotaph, which was redesigned and moved from Church St. to the Stephen Leacock Theatre in 2018, is proof that a revitalized cenotaph renews interest in Remembrance Day. 

“We were lucky to get 50 people at the old one. Our first time we opened to the public for Remembrance Day we had over 400 people show up,” he said. 

According to Mackey, discussions on replacing the cenotaph have been ongoing with Town staff for almost two years, but with the revitalization of High Street next year, it got moved to the front burner. 

Mackey shows Sutton Cenotaph is degrading

“They don’t like the way the old cenotaph is falling apart any more than we do. And nobody uses the park anymore. It’s too dark. Some people use the cenotaph as a washroom and they also go behind the hedges,” he said. 

The Town is allocating $60,000 to build the new cenotaph and upgrade the park, with Veterans Affairs Canada contributing an additional $18,300. 

“The Town is honoured to be partnering with the Sutton Legion and the Chippewas of Georgina Island on a very meaningful project that pays tribute to those who have served our country,” a Town spokesperson said.

“We are working closely with the Chippewas of Georgina Island to ensure indigenous veteran contributions are reflected and honoured through the park improvements.”

“The goal of the upgrades is to improve the overall condition of this memorial space, and to encourage greater public engagement and reflection. These improvements are part of our continued commitment to honouring all veterans and ensuring our public spaces are inclusive, accessible, and meaningful to everyone.”

While there is support for the change, there are also a number of residents, including some Legion members, who believe the old cenotaph, built by local veterans in 1961, should be preserved and not replaced.

Some of those Legion members took to social media accusing the Legion Executive of expediting the decision without getting input from most of the members. 

However, Sutton Legion President Sheldon Sumners disputes that claim. 

“There is no hidden agenda. It’s not a secret. We had to have a committee for it. We did present it. The membership voted on it and agreed to proceed. There were no dissenters. And many of the people that are dissenting right now did not put up their hands,” he said. 

Paul Brady, President of the Georgina Historical Society, believes the decision should have been made by the wider community, and not just Legion members, as public funds are being used.

“It’s an iconic symbol of Sutton’s working class past. And to replace it with a somewhat generic looking monument is a mistake,” Brady said. “We’re losing so many historic things and the older, local population, is just being ignored. They are just trying to erase Georgina’s heritage.” 

Both Mackey and Sumners acknowledge the nostalgia some residents have for the old cenotaph and they want to reassure them that the Legion plans to preserve some of its elements.

“It’s really dilapidated. It’s falling apart. But we’re going to try to save some of the bricks and we’re definitely saving the plaque. The rest, I’m not sure if it’s saveable,” Sumners said. 

Mike Anderson
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