To ensure that we do not forget those who did not return home from the war cenotaphs were built in cities, towns and villages.
Bowen Island was no exception.
The men on our cenotaph are remembered every Nov. 11, as are all the victims of every war.
Did you know that members of the Bowen Island Legion, Branch 150, built our Cenotaph in 1937?
William Linklater, Cameron Smith’s uncle, built the form for the Cenotaph out of an old army cot. James Collins, along with other community members, mixed the concrete. Cal Frost recalled, as a young boy, throwing two pennies into the concrete as it was being poured. On June 14, 1937, the Vancouver Daily Province printed an article about the dedication of the Bowen Cenotaph.
The ceremony was headed by Col. Victor Spencer and attended by nearly 100 of “Spencer’s Remnants.”
They planted an evergreen at each corner of the monument.
While the evergreens have disappeared the Cenotaph remains as a monument that allows for public expressions of grief and reflection.
The monument serves today, as it did in the past, as a public place to pay tribute to those whose lives have been cut short.
Please drop by the museum to see the Remembrance Day exhibit curated by Virginia Penny, the new public programmes curator.
One of the special items featured is a panorama photo of the dedication of the Cenotaph.
The exhibit opens on Friday, Nov. 11. After the ceremony at the cenotaph, please take the time to drop by the museum on your way to the Legion to view the display, honour the contributions and sacrifices made by Bowen Islanders and all Canadians, and reflect on the experiences and implications of war.
We will also have a sampling of tunes from the Second World War: the popular: “We’ll Meet Again,” “Lilli Marlene,” “The White Cliffs of Dover,” “When They Sound The Last All-Clear,” among others, listened to by soldiers far from home and their loved ones who awaited their return.
The museum will be open until 4 p.m.
