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New cenotaph erected at South Surrey cemetery

Project at Sunnyside Lawn got underway in summer
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A new cenotaph has been erected at Sunnyside Lawn Cemetery in South Surrey. (City of Surrey photo)

A new cenotaph has been erected at Sunnyside Lawn Cemetery in South Surrey, “in time for the community to honour our Canadian veterans this Remembrance Day.”

According to a news release issued by the City of Surrey Friday morning (Nov. 5), the Memorial Garden project was completed at the 14850 28 Ave. cemetery in partnership with Veterans Affairs-Canada and the Last Post Fund.

It was initiated in the summer, beginning with removal of the 1955-built cenotaph, which was showing structural weaknesses caused by natural elements and the passage of time, the release states.

Designed by Dan Bellan Design, the new Memorial Garden consists of three aluminum arches which appear to descend from the front and ascend from the rear, the release explains. The middle arch includes a two-sided aluminum clad on granite that provides an interpretation of the memorial in both official languages. The three tall, open arches allow people to walk through, reflecting on the sacrifices of Canadian and Allied Veterans who served in times of war and peace.

“The freedoms that we enjoy today are a result of the sacrifices made by Canada’s war veterans,” Mayor Doug McCallum said in the release. “As each year goes by, it’s more important than ever that we never forget.”

According to information at surrey.ca, Sunnyside Lawn Cemetery is one of three owned and operated by the city. Burial service began at the 28-acre site in 1954.

Surrey is not hosting any in-person Remembrance Day tributes this year, however, a small wreath-laying ceremony planned at Veterans Square in Cloverdale is to be livestreamed on the city’s Facebook page and the Heritage Surrey Facebook page, starting at 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 11.

READ MORE: Two 100-year-old former POWs to lay wreaths during Remembrance Day ceremony in Cloverdale this year



tholmes@peacearchnews.com
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Tracy Holmes

About the Author: Tracy Holmes

Tracy Holmes has been a reporter with Peace Arch News since 1997.
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