A major restoration has brought a historic memorial in Ridgetown back to its former glory.
Brenda Goldhawk, President of the IODE Confederation Chapter, said the Cenotaph in Memorial Park was becoming a safety concern to residents, and even though they worked hard to maintain the park, it was in need of some repairs.
She said it had been brought to her attention that the Cenotaph had lost its seal, names were faded and stones were starting to sink.
"So we made a list of things that should be done and decided we were going to make it a project," said Goldhawk. "We talked to people in the community about it and it went from there."
According to Cindy Devereux, President of the Ridgetown Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 243, the two organizations partnered together and fundraised a total of $35,000 for the completion of the project.
"Our community has been so awesome," said Devereux. "It only took about a month once we put the plea out to the community."
Goldhawk said many changes have been made to the park, including the removal of the hill at the foot of the monument.
She said a Sarnia-based restoration company, called Memorial Restoration & Safety was hired to complete the project.
The Cenotaph has now been cleaned up and refurbished.
The lettering has been repainted, the joints and seals have been put back together, and there's a 12-foot wide sidewalk that now extends around the monument. In addition, there is a two-step platform that leads up to the Cenotaph itself.
However, Goldhawk said only a part of the project is done. She said there are plans to redo some of the landscaping around the park.
"It was a beautiful spot before, don't get me wrong, but we have made it such a beautiful place for our veterans," said Devereux.
