| Collingwood, Ontario
The Cenotaph was constructed and dedicated to local Collingwood men who volunteered and laid down their lives in the Great War of 1914-1918. The north and south faces of the Cenotaph shaft lists the names of those who fell.
Construction began in 1922, with a public dedication held August 5, 1923. The Cenotaph was designed by local contractor Charles Henry Lawrence MacDonald, who used his brother Fred as a model for the soldier.
The Collingwood Soldiers Memorial Unveiling.
A concrete slab supports a granite base and stations a 16 foot bronze figure of a World War I Canadian soldier in uniform looking west to St. Paul Street. The soldier holds a bugle to his lips with his right hand, left arm at his side, prepared to play "The Last Post", whish is inscribed immediately below the figure.
From the base is the shaft of the Cenotaph, which carries the following inscription in raised lettering on the west face.
"This memorial was erected in grateful and loving memory of the heros who fell in the Great War 1914-1918 A.D. by the citizens of Collingwood Ontario in the year 1922 A.D."
The Cenotaph is framed by four electric light standards and a flagpole, initially installed in 1923.
In 1960 granite "wings" flanking the original Cenotaph were installed and commemorate 52 Collingwood men who died in World War II. I was in 1982, that the Korean War Veterans were acknowledged on the wings.
The Collingwood Cenotaph is an important symbol of community pride and provides a focus for a number of ceremonies throughout the year, including Remembrance Day. Maintenance and upkeep of the Cenotaph are shared by the Town of Collingwood Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture, the Collingwood Horticultural Society and the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 63.
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