ESTEVAN - Some restoration work is now underway for Estevan’s cenotaph.
Craig Bird with the Southeast Military Museums said they have removed the plaque from the monument and will have a company come down from Regina to clean and remove some of the staining that has accumulated on the structure over the years.
That company will be polishing and cleaning the plaque, and then it will be reinstalled.
Also, B&S Construction will be filling in the cracks and re-grouting the cenotaph to keep it watertight and looking good. That work also needs to be finished before the plaques can be returned.
“I was looking at the cenotaph, and some of the work that was done back in 2005 is just starting to fail, [including] some of the seals and the grout work that were done on it. It really hasn’t been looked after since 2005 and it’s time that it needs to be maintained,” said Bird.
The plaques were removed on Friday.
Bird said the timeline for the project will depend on the weather. They need some favourable conditions and sunny days to get the work done.
“We’re hoping that it will be done sometime in May, but it depends on what kind of weather we get here. It hasn’t been too favourable so far,” Bird said.
The cenotaph was built in 1926 and Bird believes it has held up well over the years.
“I don’t believe there has been any major work done to it over the years. It’s just been some minor maintenance here and there. The plaque that’s on there was done sometime after the 1950s, after Korea (the Korean War),” said Bird.
If someone were to take a look at the cenotaph without the plaque, they would see the original First World War names that were leaded into the monument and covered up by the plaque.
“The cenotaph basically looks like it did in 1926, besides being a little bit dirtier, obviously,” said Bird.
A number of organizations have provided grants for the maintenance work, including Veterans’ Affairs Canada and another organization. The remaining cost will be covered by the Southeast Military Museums and the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch. Bird said they can take donations and issue tax receipts if anyone wants to support this effort.
