Aurora council considers adding LAV to Cenotaph

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 8, 2015
By Teresa Latchford

Aurora is considering the addition of a light armoured military vehicle to the town’s Cenotaph and Peace Park.

Queen’s York Rangers Regimental Council Chair Kirk Corkery stood before council this week asking for a commitment to submit the required application and $15,000 to pour the concrete pad and construct the pedestal on which the monument would sit.

“If you look at the communities who are applying across Canada, they all have some connection to Afghanistan,” Corkery said. “It seems more than appropriate for a monument to be part of Aurora.”

Last November, Canada Company announced the LAV III Monument Program with the hope of recognizing the serve and sacrifice of the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan by providing up to 250 full-size replicas of the light armoured vehicles to communities throughout the country, according to lavemonument.ca.

While the first site considered was the Royal Canadian Legion property on Industrial Parkway, the site didn’t meet the criteria set out by Canada Company. Peace Park on Yonge Street is the ideal site since the public will be able to access the site easily.

The Canadian manufactured vehicles played a major role when troops were carrying out missions in Afghanistan and each monument will be built from decommissioned hulls donated by the Canadian government and constructed by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada in London, ON.

The 17,000-kilogram, eight-wheeled vehicles will be stripped of weaponry, engines, lighting, communication equipment and will be welded shut to prevent entry into the shell.

With more than 40,000 Canadians serving in Afghanistan over 13 years, thousands have been from York Region, Corkery explained. Of the Queen’s York Rangers, 40 per cent of the soldiers have served a tour and have been awarded a Battle Honour by the federal government to recognize their contributions.

A plaque would also be required to explain the significance of the monument.

Corkery confirmed there would be very little needed for maintenance with the exception of cutting the grass around the monument and attending to graffiti should it be defaced.

The Regimental Council will cover the $17,000 to purchase the monument and $4,000 to $6,000 for transportation London. The $15,000 for the pad and pedestal would be the responsibility of the town if council gives the proposal a thumbs up.

Final approval will be considered at the next council meeting.