A well-known war memorial in Wingham has been carefully taken down after being damaged in what officials say was a vehicle collision.
The Municipality of Morris-Turnberry, working with the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority, dismantled the memorial entrance gates to Galbraith Field on June 16, 2026 after engineers determined the structure was no longer safe.
Mayor Jamie Heffer says the damage goes back to May 25, when the municipality learned the upper portion of the structure had been struck.
"It was hit by something and had bent it and kind of forced it inwards towards the park," Heffer explained. "That pulled the two supporting pillars inwards....so that kind of broke the structures.”
Heffer says what followed was a careful and respectful process, with crews dismantling the structure by hand and cataloguing each piece.
"Every stone was catalogued, its location recorded, and it was dismantled by hand," he said. "The stones were taken for storage by the municipality."
The municipality says the decision wasn’t taken lightly, pointing to both safety concerns and the memorial’s historical significance. The structure, built around 1928, had also been deteriorating over time.
"It’s a very old structure and deteriorating took place over the years," Heffer said. "At that point it was time to reassess....do we repair it, or rebuild it?"
For now, all stone and metal components are in storage while council considers what comes next.
"There’s lots of questions that will need to be addressed," Heffer added. "We want to make sure whatever replaces it is appropriate."
CAO/Clerk Trevor Hallam says the immediate priority was public safety, with staff moving quickly once the damage was assessed.
"It was determined that the structure was unsafe and had to be addressed," Hallam said. "We recognized the cultural and historical significance, so every stone was catalogued....and taken for storage."
Hallam says council was previously aware of the structure’s condition, including discussions and repair estimates dating back to 2024, but no major work proceeded at that time.
The municipality says it will provide updates to council in the coming weeks, and expects community input to play a role in any future decision about the memorial’s replacement or reconstruction.
For Mayor Heffer, the focus now is ensuring whatever comes next still honours those the memorial was built to remember.
"These are important things to have, to remember," he said. "We want to make sure it’s something appropriate for those who served."
