About the Veterans Memorial Garden

MEMORIAL COMMITTEE

The War Memorial Site Committee was convened in November of 2015, for the purpose of consolidating the two existing War Memorials and erecting a new Memorial for those who served in Afghanistan. The committee was made up of former serving members of the Elgin Regiment, 31 Combat Engineer Regiment (The Elgins) and members of Branch 41 Royal Canadian Legion.

Veterans Memorial Garden – St. Thomas ON

In 2016-2017, a group of dedicated citizens formed a committee and initiated plans to establish a new “War Memorial Park” in downtown St. Thomas. They sought to create a special place which allowed citizens to recognize the 10,000 plus local men and women who served Canada in military conflicts and memorialize the over 1,000 who never returned home.

The Committee had the full endorsement of Branch 41 of the Royal Canadian Legion and the 31 Combat Engineer Regiment (The Elgins), the St. Thomas City Council, and the Citizens of Elgin County.

The resulting Veterans Memorial Garden located at the Southeast corner of Moore and Talbot Streets and was dedicated on October 28, 2017, by The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell OC, OOnt., Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Ontario. The Garden has been in continuous use for the November 11th Remembrance Day services as well as other commemorations and recognitions since its inception.

The Veterans Memorial Garden is a combination of the Great War (WW1) Soldier from its former location at the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital (STEGH) and the WW11 / Korean Cenotaph from its Talbot Street location. Additionally, third and fourth elements were added, those being the Afghanistan conflict and the Vimy Oak designation.

The Garden serves to recognize all the conflicts in which Canada participated beginning with the Boer War, the War of 1812, the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, Afghanistan and the numerous Peace Keeping Missions.

The Canadian Forces, 31 Combat Engineer Regiment (The Elgins) utilized bridge components from the Second World War to construct and install the QR code stand.

All the conflicts mentioned can be explored using the QR code conveniently located within the Veterans Memorial Garden.