For the past year, ERA has been working on the restoration of one of Brampton’s most cherished monuments – the War Memorial Cenotaph, which stands beside Brampton City Hall. Restoration was completed earlier this month, just in time for this year’s Remembrance Day service. Originally erected in 1928 to honour the sacrifice of Brampton’s fallen in the Great War (1914-1918), the monument has been an iconic part of the city’s Remembrance Day services ever since.
After 83 years however, the Cenotaph is showing its wrinkles. Last year ERA began a condition assessment on the monument and found several signs of deterioration – including rust staining, environmental staining, cracked/damaged pointing, unmatched and damaged sealant. This September the conservation of the Cenotaph began.
The City of Brampton held its Remembrance Day 2011 parade and service at the freshly restored Cenotaph site on Friday. ERA has worked with the city to develop a management plan for the continued preservation of the monument.
On July 4th, 1928, thousands of residents from the area gathered on the reclaimed land of the old Etobicoke Creek to witness the unveiling of the Cenotaph by Lord Willingdon, then Governor General of Canada. With the help of proper heritage conservation, 83 years from now the Brampton Cenotaph will continue to remind people of the symbols expressed in the granite monument’s roman ornamentation: Service, Sacrifice, and Victory.
