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New cenotaph in works for Ucluelet

Ucluelet councillor Geoff Lyons hopes a new cenotaph monument honouring those who fought in Canadian forces wil soon be in place within Ucluelet's Village Square.

The current cenotaph located at the front of Ucluelet's Army Navy and Air Force Veterans Club (ANAF) does not provide enough room to accommodate the amount of West Coasters wanting to honour those who fought for them, according to Lyons.

"There's funding out there and we're trying to put a larger more significant one down in and around the village square," he said.

He said the district has planned beautification work at the front of Ucluelet's Municipal Office and the creation of a new cenotaph could coincide with this work to lower costs.

"The planning department drafted up some different scenarios of where it could be located and how it could work. The (ANAF) looked at them and wanted to reassess," he said.

He said the ANAF has recently overcome some financial challenges and is ready to focus on plans for a new cenotaph.

"There were some issues but I think we're now in a situation where we're back with a balanced book and can look at actually taking on something," he said.

Lyons hopes to have a plan worked out by May to get something to the village so we can get the applications in for funding and get something in by Nov. 11, he said. "Hopefully by early summer we'll have agreements and decisions and funding sources firmed up."

Tofino and Ucluelet take turns hosting Remembrance Day on the West Coast and 2014 is a Tofino year.

Meanwhile, Ucluelet's current cenotaph is missing its Canadian Flag-Lyons believes it may have been stolen-and Lyons said a replacement flag is needed.

Sgt. Jeff Swann of the Ucluelet RCMP said the flag has not been reported stolen to police.

reporter@westerlynews.ca



Andrew Bailey

About the Author: Andrew Bailey

I arrived at the Westerly News as a reporter and photographer in January 2012.
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