Abbotsford Cenotaph Renovation
It is our intention to clean, repair and renovate the War Veterans Cenotaph at Thunderbird Square in Abbotsford. This work would include the relocation of current, plaques, correcting misspelled names, adding names of persons overlooked, and updating the names to reflect the veterans’ full first name and family name. The local veterans currently recognized are those with service during World War One, World War Two, the Korean and Afghanistan Wars.
The Cenotaph will serve the current and future population of Abbotsford.
We have had The Cenotaph is included in the Abbotsford Community Heritage Register as property with great local heritage significance, due to the need for longevity on the current site. This Cenotaph would continue to educate our younger people about the sacrifices made by the War Veterans, including those who returned and those who did not.
Heritage Value
The Cenotaph bears five bronze plaques that are unique to the recognition of local wartime sacrifices, including lives lost during WWI and WWII, personnel killed during training at the Abbotsford Airfield, loss in Afghanistan and local participation in the Korean War. Its design includes the work of local veterans. For more than 90 years it has been the center of local Remembrance Services. It has been relocated several times to keep it physically, as well as figuratively, at the heart of our community.
The Abbotsford Cenotaph
The WWI Flag Mast
At its September 1921 meeting, the Abbotsford branch of the Great War Veterans Association (GWVA) voted to pursue the erection of a memorial flag staff. The proposed memorial was not yet in place on November 11th but the location chosen was the site of the Community Armistice Day Service.
In March 1922 work began on the flagpole at the intersection of Essendene and Montvue Avenues and West Railway Street. It was constructed with a concrete base in the shape of a Maltese Cross on which was mounted a commemorative brass plaque. In addition to being a memorial. The flagpole would also serve as a traffic regulator. British Columbia had just switched from driving on the left to driving on the right and signage was needed to remind motorists and to signal the STOP at the intersection. Donations from local businesses and individuals supplemented GWVA membership dues to fund the project.
A brief dedication of the memorial to “Our Fallen Heroes” took place during the community’s 1922 May Day Celebrations. On the following Armistice Day, businesses closed and citizens gathered at the War Veteran’s Flagpole for the memorial service to hear the address by the president of the GWVA and the prayer. Wearing a Poppy in memory of fallen soldiers had been introduced in 1921. The Abbotsford Post records that the little flower was worn by all at the 1922 Armistice Ceremony.
The Stone Cenotaph
Jubilee Grounds
In early 1929, the Village of Abbotsford embarked on a paving program that required the removal of the GWVA flagpole. The Veterans’ Association lost no time in replacing the lost memorial.
Jubilee Park had been constructed as a community project to mark the Diamond Jubilee, the National Celebration of sixty years of Canadian Confederation, held on July 1, 1927. The new Centre of Community Celebrations, the Jubilee Park grounds were chosen as the new home for the WWI memorial. The Art Monument Company Limited of Vancouver, owned by a Great War veteran, was contracted for construction at a cost of $600.
The nine-foot-tall, grey British Columbia granite monument was mounted on well-proportioned base stones, and the inscription, “Our Glorious Dead,” was permanently lit by an electric lamp at the top. It stood alongside McCallum Road on the west side of the grounds close to the South Fraser Way/Essendene Avenue intersection.
The Abbotsford Cenotaph was unveiled on April 7, 1929. The dedication ceremony consisted of a community parade and wreath laying service
The Stone Cenotaph
Provincial Building Site
In 1950, during construction of the new provincial building on Laurel Street, the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 15 proposed relocating the Cenotaph to the courthouse site. Application to the Provincial government was approved and the Province funded the move.
At the time, the new location provided a more auspicious and better location for memorial services because of additional space in the surrounding area. In August 1950 the move was completed.
The electric lamp was removed and the Legion was contacted to create a new decorative feature for the top of the monument. WWII veteran, Cyril Holbrow, was approached to design the feature and WWI veteran, Harry Tarasenko, created the stone cross from Cyril’s drawing. In later years, the original cross was stolen, and a replica was made to take its place.
The Stone Cenotaph
Thunderbird Plaza
As the Downtown business area continued to grow, the development detracted from the prominence of the Cenotaph, and made Remembrance Services difficult.
During September 2006, the Cenotaph was removed from the Montrose Street site in preparation for a move to the Abbotsford Civic Centre adjacent to Thunderbird Plaza.
On October 28th, 2006, the unveiling ceremony was held and Thunderbird Plaza was renamed Thunderbird Memorial Plaza. Mayor George Ferguson, members of City council, MLA Mike DeJong , MLA John van Dongen, and MP Ed Fast attended the dedication ceremonies. The Royal Canadian Legion Colour Guard was featured along with a performance of How I met Anne Frank by the Abbotsford Children’s Theatre.
