The sod has been breached on the New Brunswick Naval Memorial.
On Nov. 11, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the memorial, which will commemorate the long and storied history of New Brunswick’s significant role in the naval and maritime heritage of Canada.
“This was a project that was envisioned five years ago,” said Retired Naval Captain Paul Dempsey, chair of the Naval Memorial Committee.
“The vision is to have a memorial that educates, commemorates, and honours those from New Brunswick that contributed to the naval and maritime history of our great province,” mentioned Dempsey.
The memorial will be located on Harbour Passage near Fort La Tour.
“It’s the perfect spot for a naval memorial … we’re trying to capture and recognize the early maritime history of New Brunswick,” said Dempsey.
Dempsey added construction is set for May 2022, as the Battle of the Atlantic is remembered on the first Sunday of every May.
The project will cost roughly $750,000 with fundraising underway.
The committee has partnered with the Royal United Services Institute of New Brunswick (RUSI-NB) who will help with fundraising.
“We are doing a lot more than shuffling money in and out, we are also helping to build this naval monument,” said Honorary Colonel Cheryl Robertson, president of RUSI-NB.
Robertson mentioned the committee and RUSI-NB have been in contact with several corporations for sponsorships, and are now seeking donations from the public.
“We’re hoping to make this a public fundraiser, so that people that have $10 or $10,000 and would like to contribute, any amount will be acknowledged,” added Robertson.
The memorial will have several features including, a replica of the bow of HMCS Saint John, which served primarily as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic.
“On it, we’re going to have inscribed a lot of the ships lost of the Royal Canadian Navy during the Battle of the Atlantic, and that’s going to our more focus point,” said Commander Thomas Watts, commanding officer of HMCS Brunswicker.
It will also have a roughly 8-metre tall propeller, a Canso aircraft (flew escort over convoys during WWII) silhouette, as well as a Cyclone helicopter, “which we recently lost off the HMCS Fredericton just over a year ago,” mentioned Watts.
It will also have imprints of waves in the pavement, indicative to ‘waves over wave,’ a nautical staff flag pole, nautical cleats for seating, information for visitors that tells the heroic story of the men and women who served as sailors, aviators, soldiers, shipbuilders, and port workers.
Organizers hope the memorial will be complete by Remembrance Day 2022.
HAPPENING NOW: The groundbreaking ceremony of the New Brunswick Naval Memorial. pic.twitter.com/j8RItlhLQn
— Tim Herd (@timherdradio) November 11, 2021