Vandals fail to deter efforts to honour Coniston's war dead

In a remarkable example of a community coming together to overcome adversity, Coniston residents celebrated the re-dedication of its war memorial Saturday, barely two weeks after the site was damaged by vandals.

The ceremony was attended by about 200 residents, as well as several dignitaries, all of whom spoke about the importance of honouring those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of their country and community.

"Despite the recent vandalism, we decided to proceed today anyway by fixing everything on time, and making sure it did not affect the dedication,” said Maj. Kirk Langdon, who emceed the ceremony. “We can never let the acts of a few ever deter us from our work."

The former memorial was vandalized several times over the years and was in a state of disrepair. So residents decided to move it to a more visible area and incorporate as much of the original as possible. The site includes the names of people from Coniston who died fighting overseas during the two World Wars and in the Korean conflict.

After the ceremony, Langdon said the vandalism helped spark support for the memorial, and enough donations are coming in now that they will likely be able to install security cameras to deter similar acts in the future.

"So far, looking at the donations we already have, and ones we're expecting to come in, that's definitely our next priority,” he said.

Langdon said repairing the damage in time for Saturday's event was a challenge, but everyone pulled together to get it done.

"Even last night we were still siliconing the some of the parts getting it all together, but we made it work," he said. "The vandalism part probably brought a few extra people out, because it's recent news ... but I think we still would have had a good turnout, even despite the weather. It's really important to the community."

In his remarks, Steve Frech, Royal Canadian Legion district commander, said the damage done to the memorial was “akin to kicking over cemetery headstones.
"This monument represents the sacrifices of your grandfathers and your fathers who gave their lives in the service of this great nation," Frech said. "They deserve our utmost respect."

Nickel Belt MP Claude Gravelle said he got a sense of how others view Canadian war sacrifices when he was in Italy recently for ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Italy.

"It was amazing, the reception that we got, because we are Canadians," Gravelle said. "The Italians are so proud, and so welcoming to Canadians.

"Without what you guys did in the past, we wouldn't be here today to celebrate in Coniston and in Canada."

Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas said the memorial is a way to ensure the memory of Canada's war dead is front and centre every day.

"We're proud to be Canadian because young men and women fought for us and gave their lives for us,” Gélinas said. "We can remember them in our hearts, but we can also have those beautiful monuments that are there in the heart of our communities, so that every day, we think about them. Every day, we thank them."

Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh said Coniston has a long tradition of honouring the wartime contributions of its men and women.

"I've seen the archival footage of troop movements through the streets of Coniston,” McIntosh said. “Pride of community was reflected then, as it is now.

"While we look to a day when there will no longer need to be a monument like this, it is good and fitting that we gather here today to rededicate this memorial and honour their sacrifices."

And Greater Sudbury Police Chief Paul Pedersen said the memorial is also a symbol of how we won't allow "vandals to destroy what is meaningful and important in our society.

"These men and women fought for freedom, and brought honour to their communities,” Pedersen said. “This memorial is a true symbol that their deaths were not in vain."