By Mike Anderson
A beautiful autumn afternoon greeted more than 70 people attending the Sutton Legion’s unveiling of the new Sutton Cenotaph at Peace Park on November 2.
Legion President Sheldon Sumners, Mayor Margaret Quirk, and MP Jacob Mantle made remarks, and prayers were offered by Padre Art Mitchell and Rabbi Yossi Vorovitch during a ceremony in which the new cenotaph was officially consecrated and a wreath laid.
The new cenotaph features five granite monuments, three of which honour Canada’s participation in the Boer War (1899 -1902), the First World War (1914-1918), the Second World War (1939-1945), and the Korean War (1950-53). There is also a monument dedicated to Canada’s U.N. Peacekeeping Missions.
The cenotaph project was several years in the making, and the unveiling was planned to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
It was a joint partnership between the Town of Georgina, the Sutton Legion, Chippewas of Georgina Island and Veterans Affairs Canada.
Council approved $60,000 for the new cenotaph and improvements to the Pefferlaw memorial last year. The Town received an additional $18,300 from Veterans Affairs Canada.
“These stones represent veterans who never came back. They laid down their lives for this country, and so it’s a wonderful thing to honour them,” said Sumners, who hopes the new cenotaph will help boost public engagement and reflection, as well as Legion membership.
“Next year is the hundredth anniversary of the Legion, and we’re looking for 300 new members. I would love to see more veterans in the Legion because we’re here to support them.”
Legion member Walter Mackey, who, together with fellow member Rod Beswick, worked to get the cenotaph project off the ground, echoed the hope that the new cenotaph and revitalized park will encourage more people to think about Remembrance and the sacrifices made by our veterans.
“I think it’s wonderful. We gave this a lot of thought. And Rod and I decided instead of having one big one, we would go for single tablets. It’s open enough so that people can walk around.”
“I think the new cenotaph will help educate kids in public schools and get them asking their parents and grandparents questions. I’m hoping for conversations that will go on long past my time as a Legion member.”
“This is not just for today, this is for the future. Let’s hope and pray we don’t have to put another date on one of those tablets.”
While the new cenotaph provides a focal point for passers-by on High Street, in-ground lighting will make the monuments even more striking at night.
The project also includes upgrades to Peace Park, including new park benches with the inscription: “Lest We Forget.”
Additional landscaping will be completed next spring, and a new plaque and bench honouring the contributions of Indigenous veterans will be installed.
The project was not without controversy, as some Sutton residents objected to replacing the original cenotaph, built by community members in the early 1960s.
Many felt there should have been more public input before the Legion membership voted to replace the original, although provisions were made to preserve and display parts of it at the Legion, including the cenotaph’s plaque.
Days before the original cenotaph was slated for demolition, two Georgina residents, Brian Lytle and Bob Trudel, stepped up to convince the Legion and the Town to save it. They hope that the Town will rebuild it at the Georgina Village Museum.
“We are really proud and happy that we saved it,” Trudel said. “It’s not going to be in the same spot, but it will be there for people to see.”
According to a Town spokesperson, the original cenotaph has been securely stored at the Town’s Parks yard.
The 2026 proposed budget will include a business case to reassemble it on a new foundation at a yet-to-be-determined Town-owned property.
While Sumners acknowledges that some residents did not support replacing the original cenotaph, he’s hopeful that once they come to Peace Park, they will have a change of heart.
“We live in a democratic society, so not everyone’s going to be happy. But we should remember that it’s not about us, it’s about the veterans,” he said.
Mayor Quirk is also hopeful that residents who were opposed to the new cenotaph will eventually embrace it.
“There needs to be a healing moment. The Legion is important to so many people, and I really hope those who disagreed with the decision will move forward.”
“It’s about remembering the veterans, the fallen, and those who continue to serve. And I think we all need to keep that in mind.”
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