Public Service Announcement

Grand Parade Cenotaph undergoing restorative work

(Wednesday, July 8, 2009) - Visitors to Halifax’s Grand Parade in front of City Hall will notice the Cenotaph is undergoing maintenance and restoration work, which began on July 3.

The Cenotaph was identified as a priority maintenance need as a result of an Outdoor Public Art inventory process conducted in 2008. As part of the scope of work the sculpture will be extensively cleaned, the mortar joints repointed and all structural elements repaired. The work should take three weeks-to-a month to complete, weather depending.

This work, funded in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs, will ensure the Cenotaph continues to occupy a special place in the heart of the downtown for many years to come.

Unveiled on Dominion Day in 1929, the Cenotaph is a memorial to those who served in the First World War, World War II, and the Korean War. The north side of the monument features the bronze figure of a woman who represents motherhood.

The sculpture was designed by Massey Rhind, a Scottish-born American Sculptor who was a prolific public artist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Massey_Rhind). Monuments of his design can be found all over North America, including the Chester and New Glasgow War Memorials in Nova Scotia, and elements of Grant's Tomb and the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial in Washington DC.

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Contact:

Shaune MacKinlay
Manager, Public Affairs
Halifax Regional Municipality
(902) 490-6531

Jamie MacLellan
Cultural Affairs
Halifax Regional Municipality
(902) 490-1039