'Making monuments come back to life': Sneak peek into Holy Roller preservation
Fanshawe College and the 1st Hussars Association of London opened their doors Thursday for a sneak peek into the ongoing work to preserve the Holy Roller memorial.
“Fanshawe was very good in becoming our hosts, they are providing the facility, tools, they’re providing technical assistance and the staff and students are volunteering to help…they’ll have something they can treasure for the rest of their lives,” says retired lieutenant-colonel Ian Haley, project director of the Holy Roller preservation.
On Thursday, Fanshawe students were operating a virtual reality (VR) headset to get a look inside the tank, while being outside of it.
“We actually created scans inside of the tank…we went inside and took pictures…we use a camera that is normally used in real estate, taking videos of houses. But we changed that and decided to put it in a tank….it is really cool using the VR to move around,’ says broadcasting television program student at Fanshawe College, Emma Wilson.
Emma Wilson uses a virtual reality headset to looks inside the Holy Roller as it is being restored at Fanshawe College in London, Ont., Thursday, July 29, 2021. (Jordyn Read / CTV News)
Emma Wilson uses a virtual reality headset to looks inside the Holy Roller as it is being restored at Fanshawe College in London, Ont., Thursday, July 29, 2021. (Jordyn Read / CTV News)
Peter Devlin, president of Fanshawe College, is happy to call a portion of the college Holy Roller’s temporary home. He says the impact will be huge for students.
“The Holy Roller project is unlocking potential from students from a host of different programs who all make this monument come back to life in such a powerful way.”
The famous Holy Roller was removed from its spot in Victoria Park on June 8.
James McNeil, a turret vehicle technician, says the tank held a five-person crew and was originally set up as a command tank for the commanding officer.
McNeil is assisting with the interior and exterior preservation, by taking out the tank's accessories like its cannon and brackets.
“This is a preservation, everything including the bins will come out so we can strip it right down, a special epoxy will be going on it to prevent rust.”
The inside of the Holy Roller Sherman tank is seen in London, Ont. on Thursday, July 29, 2021. (Jordyn Read / CTV News)
The inside of the Holy Roller Sherman tank is seen in London, Ont. on Thursday, July 29, 2021. (Jordyn Read / CTV News)
Holy Roller was gifted to the City of London in June 1949 to commemorate the sacrifice made by members of the 1st Hussars during the Second World War.
“As an old army guy, it is particularly rewarding, but what I marvel at is how enthusiastic the students are,” says Devlin, who served 35 years in the Canadian army.
“The Holy Roller from the 1st Hussars, who I might add, is celebrating its 150 years in 2022. That’s remarkable, it’s about celebrating 1st Hussars and students.”
The Holy Roller was moved to Victoria Park in May 1956.
According to the Juno Beach Centre, the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade (CAB) was equipped with Shermans in time for the invasion of Sicily in July 1943.
The Canadian Armoured Division, training in Britain for Operation Overlord, had their Canadian-built Ram tanks replaced with Shermans in the months leading up to D-Day.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.