Repairs are nearly done on the bronze statue “Kneeling in Remembrance” and the iconic artwork will soon be restored atop the Cloverdale Cenotaph in Veterans’ Square.
The statue was vandalized earlier this year when police say a suspect knocked it off the cenotaph at about about 1:30 a.m. on March 29.
At the time, the Legion was inundated with calls from people voicing their outrage. A spokesman for the Legion said over the past 17 years, “Kneeling in Remembrance” had become an important symbol for members of the Cloverdale community.
Yvon Lehoux, Sergeant-at-Arms for the Cloverdale Legion, said he was delighted to hear the statue was ready to be reinstalled. He said a rededication ceremony has been temporarily scheduled for later in August.
“We were just advised by the city that the statue will be ready to return,” revealed a jubilant Lehoux. “Therefore, Branch No. 6 of the Canadian Legion will hold a high profile rededication and unveiling ceremony on Aug. 19.”
The 650-pound statue, crafted by André Gauthier, depicts a First World War soldier, kneeling and with a helmet in hand, paying his respects to a fallen comrade. It was first unveiled on Remembrance Day in 2006.
Lehoux said the public is invited to the ceremony and he’s encouraging everyone in the community to come out. He added several VIPs may attend the special ceremony such as the mayor, local MPs and MLAs, assistant commissioner Brian Edwards, and a yet-to-be-named Silver Cross Mother, along with the RCMP Pipe Band and an RCMP marching contingent, WWI and WWII reenactors, and members of various cadet corps.
“When the ceremony is complete, a parade will march on 176A Street, then onto 57th Avenue to the Legion parking lot.”
SEE ALSO: Police ask for public’s help identifying suspect who damaged Cloverdale cenotaph
Lehoux said knowing the statue is returning is bittersweet for him. He’s happy it will soon be restored, but also vexed that it was deliberately damaged.
“It shouldn’t have been (vandalized) in the first place,” Lehoux said. “People should be respectful of this shrine that has so much significance and also (symbolizes) the ultimate sacrifices and the sufferings that so many Canadians paid and endured in order for us to enjoy our freedoms.”
He hopes the rededication ceremony is a well-attended event so that it reinforces the meaning and purpose of the cenotaph. He said Surrey’s “monument to the fallen” should be respected by all.
A Royal Canadian Navy veteran himself, Lehoux feels intense pride and honour and reverence every time he passes the cenotaph.
“It is a reminder of the toils and tears that I experienced in my life, that they were not in vain,” Lehoux explained. “Above all, my admiration for the brave Canadians who paid the ultimate price so we can be free as a nation. They are the true heroes.”
As for the vandalism suspect, Surrey Mounties have not released any further details about their investigation. On April 8, 2023, Mounties described the suspect as a Caucasian male, approximately 170 pounds with brown shoulder-length hair, a brown goatee beard and prescription glasses. (See picture below.) The RCMP say he was last seen wearing a black jacket with a blue shirt underneath, black pants and white runners.
The rededication and unveiling ceremony will be held Aug. 19 beginning at 11 a.m. in Veterans’ Square.
— with files from Anna Burns.
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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