Spanish Cenotaph

This memorial is dedicated to those who served our country. It was erected by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 576 and the Community of Spanish. The unveiling of the new cenotaph was held for the Annual Remembrance Day Service. In 1992, a huge anchor was brought to North Bay by an army vehicle for the Royal Canadian Legion. Rev. Archie Nesseth transported it to its present site at the Parkette.

A new plaque dedicated to the U.N. Peace Keeping Force was added in 1999 to the left side of the monument. All of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 576 Remembrance Day Ceremonies are conducted at the memorial and are attended by residents of Spanish, two local schools and the Rock Haven School for Exceptional Children. The memorial has become a special place for ceremonies. When the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 576 celebrated its 40th anniversary in 1998 the memorial was included in the ceremony. A ceremony also was held at the memorial in memory of a Second World War veteran who passed away.

Behind the memorial is a flower bed shaped like a cross which will house tulips and a flag pole will be installed at the head of the flower bed. The memorial was built in 1990 by Rev. M.A. Nesseth with some assistance from Comrade K. Preston and V. Lortie. Excerpts from Mid-North Monitor, September 19, 1990.

The Branch 562 Pipe Band from Elliot Lake attended the dedication ceremony. The memorial was dedicated by the District H Deputy Commander Sam McGhee and blessed by the Branch Chaplain Deacon Archie Nesseth. Assisting at the unveiling was Veteran Nelson Robinson of Spanish. During the dedication, Pipe major Doug O’Connor piped the Lament, the very moving “Flowers of the Forest”. The parkette was purchased by the Township of Shedden from the Ministry of Natural Resources, then lent to the Legion Branch who plan to make the triangle a Memorial Parkette.

Inscription

[FRONT/DEVANT]
DEDICATED TO THOSE
WHO SERVED THEIR
COUNTRY BY THE
ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION
BRANCH 576 AND THE
COMMUNITY OF SPANISH
1990

AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE
SUN AND IN THE MORNING
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
DESAYEUX HECTOR
DESAYEUX JOSEPH
MARTIN EDWARD
URQUHART ROBERT
VANCE ALLAN

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

[CROSS/CROIX]
LEST WE FORGET

[SIDE/CÔTÉ]
KOREA
1950 – 1955

Ce mémorial est dédié à ceux qui ont combattu pour notre pays. Il a été érigé par la filiale no 576 de la Légion royale canadienne et la communauté de Spanish. Le nouveau cénotaphe a été inauguré à l’occasion du service annuel du jour du Souvenir. En 1992, un véhicule de l’armée a apporté à North Bay une énorme ancre destinée à la Légion royale canadienne. Le rév. Archie Nesseth l’a transportée sur son emplacement actuel dans le mini-parc.

Une nouvelle plaque dédiée aux forces de maintien de la paix des Nations Unies a été ajoutée en 1999 du côté gauche du monument. Toutes les cérémonies du jour du Souvenir organisées par la filiale no 576 de la Légion royale canadienne ont lieu au mémorial en présence des habitants de Spanish, ainsi que des élèves des deux écoles locales et de la Rock Haven School for Exceptional Children. Le mémorial est devenu un lieu privilégié pour les cérémonies. C’est là que s’est déroulée la cérémonie marquant le 40e anniversaire de la filiale no 576 de la Légion royale canadienne, en 1998, et c’est là également qu’a eu lieu une cérémonie à la mémoire d’un ancien combattant de la Seconde Guerre mondiale qui venait de mourir.

Une plate-bande de fleurs en forme de croix, dans laquelle seront plantées des tulipes et au bout de laquelle sera érigé un mât, se trouve derrière le mémorial.

Le texte de l’inscription figure dans la section anglaise.