The Southampton 150th Anniversary Legacy Fund has announced an $80,000 donation to the Southampton Cenotaph renovation project.
Chairman Dunc McCallum said, “We are very pleased to support the project of the Southampton Community Cenotaph Committee. The Legacy Fund was impressed by John Willett’s enthusiastic approach, especially after five years of pushing the project. We established that the Cenotaph renovation meets 150th Legacy Fund criteria, and committed to support the project.”
To be considered by the 150th Legacy Fund, a project should be located in Southampton, have a historical or cultural component celebrating Southampton history, and have a permanent presence which can be enjoyed by all Southamptonites.
In his presentation to Saugeen Shores council, John Willetts noted that the existing cairn with cross, in place since 1962, shows some disrepair, although the plaques are in good condition and can be reused. He explained that the project would replace the existing cenotaph with a new design based on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, with two pillars about 15 feet high. It would fit on the same boulevard footprint, display the existing plaques and be illuminated by LED lighting from the bottom up.
The Legacy Fund committee comprises alumni of the 150th Anniversary celebrations: Dunc McCallum, Robin Hilborn, Tim Andersen and Joanne Robbins.
The 150th Legacy Fund resulted from the enthusiastic response of citizens and donors to the Southampton 150th Anniversary celebrations in 2008.
Tim Andersen, Fund treasurer, said that the many events, donations and grants produced a surplus at the end of 2008 which the 150th Legacy Fund committee has held in trust.
(For more, see the news release “150th anniversary celebrations raise $73,000 for Southampton projects”, June 22, 2009, www.familyhelper.net/150/news/090622surplus.html.)
Fund secretary, Robin Hilborn, explained that the committee had considered several worthy projects in the past which did not, however, come to fruition. The committee looked at supporting renovations to Southampton town hall, but that project failed to gain support from town council. The Marine Heritage Society proposed a project to develop a park at Scubby’s Point but did not follow through with it.
Past anniversaries of the founding of Southampton supplied precedents. Proceeds from the 125th anniversary went for commemorative benches and for wood-clad garbage containers which are set out in summer. The surplus from the 135th anniversary funded the flag pole at the foot of High Street. The 150th Anniversary Legacy Fund has already funded two period lamp posts, with plaques, on High Street in Southampton, as part of Streetscape.
