Afghan War cenotaph construction delayed

OPENING NEXT YEAR

Plaques honouring those who died in Afghanistan are part of the Kandahar Airfield Cenotaph being reconstructed at the Department of National Defence headquarters in Ottawa, which will now be officially opened in the spring.

Indoor trees were being shipped from Florida and special glass panes were coming from Texas.

Couture said the work is expected to be completed by Nov. 28.

When finished, the pavilion housing the cenotaph will be accessible to military personnel and civilian DND employees at the defence headquarters on Carling Avenue in Ottawa.

But the official opening will take place sometime in the spring, Couture said. By then, landscaping around the site will have been completed.

The cenotaph at Kandahar Airfield, built by Canadian Forces personnel and Afghan employees, became a symbol for many Canadians of the losses endured in the Afghan war.

On the cenotaph are plaques that honour Canadian Forces members who died as well as Foreign Affairs official Glyn Berry, Calgary Herald journalist Michelle Lang, and Marc Cyr, a civilian from SNC Lavalin, a company under contract to the DND. Other plaques on the cenotaph honour the U.S. military who died while serving under Canadian command.

DND officials concluded the cenotaph would not survive an Ottawa winter if left outdoors and required a building to be constructed around it.

Military officers considered several sites in Ottawa for the reconstructed cenotaph, including at Dow’s Lake, the Beechwood Cemetery and the Canadian War Museum.

A military advisory group noted the criteria for the location should consider sanctity to be the most important, followed by visibility and accessibility for the cenotaph.

Some Afghan veterans have argued the cenotaph should have been located near Parliament Hill.

Retired colonel Pat Stogran has said the cenotaph should be in a highprofile location in downtown Ottawa, where it would remind Canadians of the sacrifices that have been made in the Afghan war. Stogran, who fought in Afghanistan and later became the veterans ombudsman, said the cenotaph should not be located at the new DND headquarters at the former Nortel complex, as few members of the public will ever see it.

DND officials have said they are working on ways to allow the public to eventually have access to the cenotaph.

Another cenotaph in honour of those killed in Afghanistan was erected at Camp Mirage, the Canadian base in the United Arab Emirates. It was brought back to Canada and installed at the National Air Force Museum at Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Ont. It consists of a pyramidlike cairn, two walls and a plaque. There is also a raised Canadian flag. First Nations with interests in the area. Those licences are valid until June 2018.

It’s important to discuss with First Nations about who has rights to that area, Robert said.

“We think that’s a very important conversation that has to happen because businesses in British Columbia need clarity on the process,” he said. “We ask that the First Nations in this area be part of that process and voice their concerns around a table and not dangerously on our workspace.”

The government has not issued any licences for new fish farms since 2015 while a review of aquaculture policy and licensing is underway.

B.C.’s Agriculture Minister Lana Popham said in statement on Sunday that she expects to receive a report on the review “soon.”

Popham said the province is committed to protecting B.C.’s wild salmon and that she will work with all parties involved to make sure the aquaculture sector is “environmentally sustainable and respects First Nations’ rights while continuing to provide good jobs for British Columbians.”

“We believe negotiation is the best way to resolve issues and we look forward to continuing a respectful dialogue with all parties,” the statement says.