A cenotaph is defined as an “empty tomb” or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. Although most notable cenotaphs commemorate notable individuals buried elsewhere, many cenotaphs pay tribute to people whose remains have never been located.
In Canada, major cenotaphs commemorating the nation’s war dead in World War I and later conflicts include the National War Memorial (a cenotaph surmounted by a bronze sculpture entitled “The Response”) in Ottawa; Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, Victoria, St. John’s, Halifax, and the Victory Square Cenotaph, in Vancouver, British Columbia and now Chestermere has it’s very own.
Formed in 2010, the Cenotaph and Remembrance Day committee have worked tirelessly to get a permanent cenotaph erected in Chestermere. The design of the cenotaph was actually decided by way of votes that were cast when the committee had contacted a few designers and asked them to create miniature mock up designs. Now seeing the completed work in Anniversary Park, it’s obvious that the design selected was in fact the right one.
This impressive granite art piece, designed by Richard Hessler, who served in the Military Reserve and is a retired RCMP officer, reflects the sacrifices that many Canadians have made in fighting for our country and the freedoms that we enjoy. The spirit of the design was to honor the Police, Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services and also showcases images of hero’s from the Great War, World War II, and the Korean War.
Chestermere resident, Ray Hessler, is the founder of the Chestermere Cenotaph Committee. In a previous interview with Hessler in 2014, he said “When I moved I notice there was no Cenotaph or memorial so I started talking around to different people and eventually got the go ahead from Mayor Matthews to form a committee and pursue the idea,”.
The City of Chestermere wants to thank the Cenotaph committee for all their hard work and dedication to make this project possible. An official dedication will be scheduled in the coming months.
