Construction took place from 1989 to 1997 in memory of 128 fallen militia and 2,200 Canadian Merchant Seamen.

The Veterans' Memorial Gardens complex is located on Manitoulin Island at the intersection of Highway 542 and Carnarvon Side-road #5. It is comprised of two parks on either side of the side-road.

Records indicate the project was conceived and supervised by a WWI veteran James (Jim) Wilson. It was unveiled and dedicated in September 1921. It was jointly sponsored by Campbell and Carnarvon townships, and funded by local residents. The inscription block on the Cenotaph pedestal was sculpted from marble and appropriately engraved with the names and details of four local soldiers killed in action in WWI. Four more names were added after WWII.

In the early 1960s, the structure was heavily damaged in an auto accident. The statue was destroyed but the remainder was salvaged and replaced with an obelisk. It was relocated on what eventually became the base of the Merchant Navy Memorial, as shown. In the left foreground of the photo is what is now known as the Manitoulin District Cenotaph Park but the structure is still under construction. The land was donated by George White, veteran of WWI and II.

In the fall of 1989, a committee was organized primarily to improve the park and replace the obelisk with a new statue. This culminated in a proposal to explore the possibility of expanding the complex and upgrading it to district status. Research indicated a new monument was needed. This led to sponsorship by local Royal Canadian Legions #177 and #514, Little Current and Gore Bay. The funding was greatly enhanced by public support. This enabled further expansion, including the background structures, the memorial plaque wing, the monolith, the ceremonial dais, and other components.

Eventually, Comrade Bert Hill donated another park across the side road. The Veterans' Memorial Gardens is now comprised of a picnic area, parking for buses and vehicles, and a parade square. It represents two towns, seven Indian Reservations, 22 townships, and honours 128 fallen militia and 2,200 Canadian Merchant Seamen.

All of this happened in four and a half years of a scheduled six year project. It was backed by the generosity of 11,200 residents, many donors, unlimited publicity by two local newspapers, two determined and generous legions and an irrepressible, long suffering, never-say-die committee of twelve WWII veterans.

The Cenotaph was dedicated on June 5th, 1994. Since then, the numbers of names on the Cenotaph have increased to 130, and more are expected to be found.

War World I		War World II
Plaque #1 Joseph Adams ?   Anwatin Alexander L. Ballantyne Benjamin Ballantyne George Baxter Plaque #2 Harry Beatty Lawrence Beatty Percy Beck Sam Blackburn Austin W. Blackie Ernest J. Blackie Lorne Bradley Harry W. Brown Michael Cada Norman Campbell William Carr Isban A. Clark George W. Collins Edwin E. Cook John Cowan John D. Currie Plaque #3 Jack Elliot Joseph Enosse F. Walter Farthing Amerod Ferguson Blair Frazer Joseph C. Gallagher R. Joseph Good Augustus Hartung Victor Hewson Robert R. Hill Charles Holmes Wilfred J. Holmes John Hughson Robert Hunter William Jackman Alexander G. Jeffery Plaque #4 Edgar Kent Frank Lavallee John E. Leach John Maguire Harvey C. Marshall Dave Matheson John McDonald John Keddy John McMillan James Merrilees Ernest Minors Nelson Minors Vincent Misinishkotewe Thomas Moore Louis J. Norton Eli Louis Niganiwah Plaque #5 Thomas Niganiwina Frank Nighswander James T. Pattison Andrew Peltier Percy Pifer Franklin Proulx James A. Raynor W. Leslie Riching William Rousseau Lorne Rumley Laurence Russell Clarence Rush Leslie Scott Colin D. Sims James F. Valliquette Plaque #6 Michael Wabanosse Lorne Walker William Wickett Arlif R. Wilkin Alden Wilkinson Robert Willet Valentine Wilman Nelson Young		Plaque #7 Gilbert Alexander Keith Beange Kenneth Buck Les Campbell Aubrey Chalmers Richard J. Clark Dominic Corbiere Everett Coulter Hubert Coulter John A. Eadie Ivan Falls Lloyd Fowler William Fowler Plaque #8 Alphonse Gaiashk Fredrick G. Green John C. Halcrow J. Lloyd Hall Morland L. Hembruff Steve R.G. Hilson James S. Howard Eric C. Hughson J. Mac Johnson Leonard Lehman Norman F. Lockyer Henry Mandamin Alponse Manitowabi (Korea) Russell McCraken Theodore McGregor Armand McMillian Plaque #9 Leonard Mumford Charles Nahwegezhic Roland Nahwegezhic L. W. Orford John Ozaomik Alfred Pitawanakwat Burt Rogue Frank Rowe Wilbert Rowe Ernest Sagle Isaac Shawanda Robert Smeltzer Russell Stringer Zoey Trudeau Lyle Van Horn Douglas M. Wagg Plaque #10 Clarence Wakegijic Douglas Weeks Felix Wemigwans A. Floyd Williamson Albert J. Williamson Douglas Wright