The unknown soldier, who has stood guard in Prince-Arthur Park in Huntingdon since the war memorial monument was first unveiled in 1921, is once again at his post.
The statue was toppled by a fallen tree branch during a violent windstorm in June 2021. The soldier reappeared somewhat unceremoniously on December 10, 2024, following through on a promise Huntingdon’s mayor, André Brunette, had made during Remembrance Day activities a month earlier.
Ronald Critchley, the president of Branch 81 of the Royal Canadian Legion in Huntingdon, was deeply moved by the return of the soldier. He felt it was important that a rededication ceremony take place.
Critchley reached out to Principal James Furey of Heritage Elementary School, which faces the park in Huntingdon, to see about possibly recreating a series of photographs featuring area residents at the original dedication ceremony. The original photo spread appeared on the front page of the Montreal Standard on October 1, 1921, with the headline, “Monument of Granite and Marble Keeps Green the Memory of the Huntingdon Lads Who Fell in the War.”
Critchley rationalized that some of the students at Heritage could be descendants of some of the people in the original photographs. An image of children standing before the restored statue would also serve as a poignant reminder of the enduring freedom and peace that generations have enjoyed due to the great sacrifice made by all Canadian soldiers.
Furey agreed, and on December 13, the students braved the cold weather to stand before the restored monument for photographs before participating in the brief ceremony. Elgin bagpiper Wanda Goundrey accompanied two students who carried a wreath forward and presented it to Lt. (N)(Retd) Pierre Lefebvre, who placed it at the foot of the cenotaph. Critchley then addressed the crowd, which also included members of the Legion, the mayor, and members of the municipal council, as well as a representative for Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette.
Gilles Lefebvre of Monuments Melocheville, the company that meticulously completed the restoration work on the soldier, was also in attendance.
“The Huntingdon War Memorial carries much significance for the county, the town itself, and the children of Heritage school,” said Critchley. “Ever since its unveiling in 1921, generations of students have grown up in its shadow, some of whom have the names of their family members written in stone on the monument, and in metal on the war memorial in the Heritage School gymnasium,” he continued.
Monument of great importance
It was imperative that the town restore the soldier, said Mayor Brunette, who clearly remembers being called by his public works team to come to the park following the storm over three years ago. “The tree had fallen right on the monument, and the soldier was gone,” he recalls, noting he was thankfully able to stop a young person from walking off with the soldier’s head “as a souvenir.”
The town took great care to recuperate as much of the statue as possible that day, and it was kept safe at the town hall. As a result, no new pieces were added to the statue. “There is a piece of the bayonet that is missing, and a grenade in the back that has to be redone,” said Brunette, noting the latter may be replaced with a brass replica.
The town first turned to Veterans Affairs Canada for help to restore the statue, but when that didn’t go very far, research began to find a company that would take on the complicated repair work. It was by coincidence that the mayor learned about Monuments Melocheville, which is based in Beauharnois. “They had the experience,” said Brunette, while pointing out that Gilles Lefebvre, who completed the restoration work, has a deep interest in local history and was very interested in working on the statue.
The price to restore the soldier was around $14,000, which Brunette suggested was quite reasonable considering some of the other quotes they had received for the work.
He said the town is very aware of the history behind the soldier and all that it stands for. “We could not be more proud to have him back.”