Chatham-Kent council approves $200K for updates to veterans’ memorials after vandalism
Chatham-Kent council has approved $200,000 to make repairs and upgrades to several veteran memorials across the municipality, including the cenotaph in downtown Chatham.
Coun. Alysson Storey said there was a lot of feedback from concerned citizens regarding security near the cenotaph following recent vandalism that saw swastikas spray-painted on it.
“These are sacred spaces and we have to treat them as such,” Storey said. “They honour those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. For example our World War Two veterans are in their nineties now. The need for these as memorials to help us remember those sacrifices is as important as it’s ever been.”
Storey said council was also told security cameras could be installed soon.
“I’m glad we’re going to be putting some resources towards enhanced security here,” Storey said.
The Ward 6 councillor explained there are a few different phases to improving the overall security at the cenotaph, noting there is a federal funding program that the municipality can access for help.
Storey also said local business, Honey Electric, has offered to help subsidize some of the work to improve the downtown location.
“We always have really large crowds for Remembrance Day ceremonies and events that honour different battles and different world wars, so we are a community that takes this very seriously, so I am not surprised with the outcry when the graffiti, that swastika was painted on this memorial,” Storey said. “That’s just not acceptable to this community and we need to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.