After eight years of discussion, a cenotaph was installed at Pioneer Park last weekend.
The cenotaph is the second new addition to Pioneer Park, after a new stage was unveiled in September. The cenotaph and a new flagpole are across from the stage.
Coun. Carl Jensen, who chaired the Cenotaph Committee and lives near the cenotaph, said “it’s a beautiful addition to Pioneer Park,” and thanked staff for getting it done. Director of Engineering Brian Barnett said it was “about 98 per cent done,” though staff still must grout the stone and fix the grass. Staff waited until now to install it so summer programs like Music in the Park and Play in the Park were not disrupted.
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Between Dec. 5 2016 and May 1, 2017, a variety of options had been presented to council.
First, Pioneer Park was recommended by staff, but council chose Centennial Park. However, a later staff report indicated several downsides to Centennial Park, included poor drainage, small size to accommodate people for the ceremony (many would have to watch from Wallace Drive), high levels of traffic noise and stray balls that would inhibit “quiet contemplation.”
Staff also estimated the Centennial Park location would cost twice as much compared to the Pioneer Park site ($300,000 vs. $150,000).
Jensen said the District’s Director of Engineering, Brian Barnett, took him to the proposed site at Centennial Park during winter to “kind of stand in the mud with him and appreciate that there were serious drainage concerns.” He also took Jensen to the other two sites around the same time to demonstrate that they were drier.
In light of these negatives, staff asked council to reconsider, and they did. According to a staff report, Pioneer Park is further from Central Saanich Municipal Hall, but the site is level and accessible, with good drainage and nearby washroom and parking facilities.
Barnett said the project budget was $150,000, but after receiving an unanticipated $25,000 grant from Veterans Affairs Canada, the project came in under budget. The supplier, Mortimer’s Monument Works in Victoria, arranged for stone to be quarried in Vermont, manufactured in Quebec, and brought here. He said cenotaphs must use particular types of granite that can stand up to the elements.
The cenotaph will be formally unveiled on Remembrance Day at 10:30 a.m. when people will already be gathered.
The ceremony will be at Pioneer Park, unlike past ceremonies which have occurred at Municipal Hall.
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