Cenotaph delays won't stop a London-area community from marking Remembrance Day

A community southwest of London has come up with a temporary way to pay tribute to its fallen this Remembrance Day.

A strike at some of the nation’s ports has delayed the arrival of a memorial stone engraved with the names of soldiers killed in combat from Dutton-Dunwich.

The stone is the highlight of the community’s new cenotaph.

“So, there's just no possibility that it's going to be here by Monday morning, unfortunately,” said Blair Ferguson, who has worked on the project for nearly two years.

$150,000 was raised to build the memorial inside a municipal park. Once complete, it will be the first ever cenotaph in Dutton-Dunwich. Unlike most centres, services have been held indoors since the close of the First World War.

A memorial stone will be placed inside this municipal park in Dutton-Dunwich, seen on Nov. 8, 2024. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)

Undeterred by the delay, the community plans to proceed with an outdoor ceremony this year.

It will be held at the new site where a walkway, illuminated base, and flag poles are already in place.

Ferguson is pleased the community came together to create a temporary raised box, which will be covered by quilts of poppies.

“And so, a couple of those poppy banners will be draped over the box. And then around that box is going to be some displays of, like, medals and photos of the men who are going to be on the cenotaph,” said Ferguson.

Once the late arriving memorial stone arrives in Dutton-Dunwich, a public dedication ceremony is planned for December.