Some of the money made from a local fundraiser will help pay for a monument to recognize the several thousand men and women from this area who have served as Canadian Peacekeepers since 1956.
The Western Newfoundland Chapter of the Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations Peacekeeping kicked off its 2014 fundraiser at the Royal Canadian Legion in Corner Brook on Saturday.
President Michael Martin said it won’t take much of the $1,200 the group raises on the annual ticket draw for a three-litre bottle of rum to be able to put the monument at the Curling War Memorial.
“Already we’ve got 90 per cent of it paid for by donations,” he said. “We put the word out and people have said, ‘Count me in, I’m on board.’ It’s just incredible.”
The monument will be placed on the far side of the field looking towards Corner Brook.
“It will just be a small thing,” said Martin. “We don’t want to overpower the war memorial. It will just be something to remember the guys who fell and remember those who served.”
A time capsule will also be a part of the peacekeepers memorial.
“In that time capsule we hope to get as many, many names as possible of everybody who has served as a peacekeeper from this area,” said Martin. “(There will be) instructions left at the museum that it’s to be opened 100 years from now.”
Martin estimates the total value of the project at around $50,000.
The stone, the engraving and site preparation have all been donated and Martin is working on lining up someone to complete the landscaping.
“All together, I expect we’re probably not going to be left with more than a couple hundred dollars to pay for,” he said.
That means the bulk of the money from the fundraiser can still go towards the group’s normal project — putting crosses and flags on veterans graves.
The group will sell its tickets and hand out information on the memorial at the Royal Canadian Legion during the breakfast events being held there this week for Corner Brook Winter Carnival.
The monument will be completed in time for a dedication on Aug. 9, National Peacekeeping Day.
