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LAV continues roll to Cenotaph park

December 2, 2015   ·   1 Comments

By Brock Weir

A light armoured vehicle (LAV) used by the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan will still take its position at the Aurora Cenotaph next year following an aborted potential u-turn from Council.

The plan to place the LAV at the Cenotaph, otherwise known as the Aurora Peace Park, was presented to Council earlier this fall by the Queen’s York Rangers Regiment. Subsequently approved by Council that evening, the proposal immediately stirred controversy with several members of the public speaking out against the placement of such a vehicle at a venue ostensibly to promote “peace.”

Going into last week’s Council meeting, local lawmakers faced a motion from Councillor John Abel responding to these concerns, calling for a further report on alternative locations for the “purpose-built machine.”

However, an impassioned delegation by Col. Kirk Corkery of the Queen’s York Rangers, accompanied by two uniformed serving members of the Regiment who served Afghanistan, led Councillor Abel to pull the plug on his reconsideration.

Responding to some of the criticisms levelled at the plan, Col. Corkery disputed the assertion that placing the LAV at the Cenotaph would “glorify war” but rather serve as a “monument” in support of those who served and sacrificed for the military. The Cenotaph, he added, was the only place in Aurora that ticked all the boxes required of the Federal program, which included visitor access, visibility and upkeep.

“I am aware there have been letters to the editor, several of you have received letters against the placing of the monument,” he said. “Let me assure you, it was never our intent to cause divisiveness within the community, not where we were coming from. I would note, however, that these objections have been relatively few. I would also note, and I find this very sad, that I do not believe that the people who have written to you, or in the papers, saw fit to attend the Remembrance Day ceremony held earlier this month. The people in attendance that day seemed to be those with a connection to the military and I have yet to hear any objection from anyone, from a member or former member of the military, to this proposal.”

Placing a LAV at the Cenotaph, he argued, would be no different than decommissioned cannons, and similar purpose-built machines, being used as “monuments to sacrifice” at other war memorials around the country.

“If the Town of Aurora wishes to bend to the objections of a few, that is up to this body to determine,” concluded Col. Corkery. “In bending to those demands, I ask you to consider what you would tell those young soldiers like the two who came with me tonight. Both are veterans of peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan. As serving soldiers, they are not permitted to speak to political issues but understand this: they are reservists who volunteered to go into harm’s way. They were not ordered to go, but chose to answer the call of their government. They are not an old coot like me. They are in their prime. There are over 50 of them from my regiment alone here in the Town plus countless others across the Region.”

Rather than the LAVs being instruments of war, Col. Corkery highlighted the fact they ultimately save the lives of soldiers working in a hostile environment and take troops where they need to go to “protect villagers, to save the lives of the non-combatants” while providing a “small piece of refuge.”

Many of these issues were echoed by members of the Royal Canadian Legion. Past Legion President Ken White, for instance, said war memorials recognize many theatres, but lasting reminders of more recent conflicts are lacking.

“The War Monument is lacking one little aspect there and that is to recognize the proper respect for our modern veterans who were killed on foreign soil and have been brought back,” said Mr. White, noting a service held in May 2014 to mark the National Day of Sacrifice, an effort by the previous Conservative government to commemorate such veterans, but leaving local Legions very little time to put together a fitting event. “One Afghan vet of five tours showed up. He had lots of problems and we brought him back to the Legion afterwards and he said, ‘Where’s our memorial?’ I said, ‘It’s coming.’ I’ll just leave it at that.”

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