Coniston war memorial vandalized weeks before dedication

Mere weeks before it was to be newly dedicated, vandals have once again attacked the war memorial in Coniston.

This is particularly galling for those behind the dedication as the reason the community has come together to revitalize the tribute to Coniston's war-time efforts is because years of neglect and vandalism left the memorial in a sorry state.

Work on the memorial began in about 2010, organizers told NorthernLife.ca. With support from Veteran’s Affairs, the Greater City of Sudbury, The Royal Canadian Legion, Coniston Community Action Network and countless volunteers, the new memorial materialized.

“It was a great demonstration of how groups coming together with a common goal can make things happen,” organizers said in an email. “The memorial is now in a more prominent location, uses items from the previous memorial and added new items to create a unique and central piece that Coniston is proud of.”

But this past weekend, vandals pulled granite benches from their bases, the legs broken off and thrown into the reflecting pool. Two of the granite pieces around the pool were also broken in half and thrown into the pool.

Kirk Langdon, one of those who worked to revitalize the memorial, said he thinks the pool liner is relatively undamaged and said the memorial can be mostly repaired before the dedication ceremoney. The police have been notified, but as of Monday morning officers had not yet visited the site to see the damage for themselves.

Langdon said between the broken granite pieces and the damages to the granite benches, damages could be between $2,500 and $3,000.

“The dedication will still move forward despite this (although some of the broken granite may not be replaced in time but we will make it look as good as we can),” Langdon said in an email.

The memorial dedication is set for May 30 at 1 p.m. in Centennial Park in Coniston.