Canal workers’ monument in pieces

Col. By Day marked the 13th year of the Rideau Canal Celtic Cross has stood tall between the Bytown Museum and the Château Laurier.

But on Monday, the monument — erected in memory of those who lost their lives building the canal linking the Ottawa River and Lake Ontario — was broken into four pieces.

“It just breaks my heart,” said Sean McKenny, president of the Ottawa and District Labour Council, which worked to build the $18,000 cross in 2004.

He said he believes it was broken by some visitors who were horsing around.

“The monument is for the workers and for families. It’s fine if visitors touch it, but don’t go jumping around on it. We would like to think that it was somebody not cognizant of (its importance).”

The labour council has been in touch with Campbell Monument, the company that erected the cross.

At the time the ODLC signed to have the structure erected, McKenny said, the organization also signed another agreement for some protection for the cross.

“It looks as if that will be covered by that warranty,” said McKenny, citing early discussions with the monument company.

All of the pieces, excluding the granite base, were collected by Parks Canada on Tuesday.

McKenny said that at this stage, Campbell Monument has told him it believes the base of the cross could be used to rebuild a new monument and that the top of it would need to be rebuilt.

“The other three pieces can’t be put back together,” McKenny said.

He said he hopes the cross can be restored within a couple of months.

WAYNE CUDDINGTON The granite base is all that’s left at the site of the Celtic cross dedicated to the memory of the workers who died building the Rideau Canal. Visitors are believed to be responsible for breaking it.