New Memorial Park bench pays tribute to veterans
By Matthew Liebenberg • mliebenberg@prairiepost.com
A uniquely designed bench has been installed in Memorial Park to pay tribute to the sacrifice and service of Canadian veterans.
The project was initiated by City of Swift Current Parks Manager Michael Newell, who felt a space for a veterans bench will be appropriate for Memorial Park.
“We wanted to honour veterans in our community,” he said. “We just wanted something that was respectful, but also recognize the service we had from our veterans that served in the various conflicts around the world.”
The bench is located along one of the paths in the park leading towards the cenotaph, which has been a prominent feature of the park since 1927.
“A couple of years ago, we started looking at the park itself and just needing some more plantings to touch it up overall,” he said.
Some of the planting and landscaping work in Memorial Park were done as part of the annual GoGreen beautification project. Old benches that reached the end of their life were also replaced through a donation of five new benches by GoGreen partner Stark & Marsh.
However, the City wanted to carry out its own bench project in Memorial Park and Newell reserved a space for a veterans bench.
“I wanted to work with the Legion on the bench overall, just on the design and seeing what they thought about it,” he said. “So I took my time trying to find a design that I thought would be appropriate for the bench that we wanted to put in there.”
This veterans bench looks quite different from a typical park bench. The laser cut metal design is something new for a park bench in the City.
“We definitely wanted something that was going to last,” he said. “We looked around until we came back with a supplier that we were comfortable with that could provide something that we knew was durable, but also obtained the design we were looking for.”
The bench was supplied by PlaygroundsR-Us in Regina. The company has years of experience in the design and installation of parks furniture, and it was also the supplier for the new Plewis Automotive Group inclusive park in Swift Current.
The bench design includes the words Lest We Forget and the name of the local Legion branch, Swift Current Branch #56. The figure of a soldier kneeling in respect for a fallen comrade is etched on each end of the backrest.
There is also an etched maple leaf and another prominent feature is two bright red poppies. The image of a poppy is trademarked by the Royal Canadian Legion and the City obtained approval to use it.
“The federal branch in Ottawa manages it and was very helpful and very supportive of it, which I thought was very important,” he said. “When we think of poppies in Canada, we automatically think of Remembrance Day. And I thought it was a great addition.”
John Griffin, the public relations officer for the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #56 in Swift Current, said the branch appreciates this initiative by the City.
“The Legion is very thankful to the City for installing this bench,” he mentioned. “We believe it will be a welcome addition to Memorial Park and provide a spot for veterans and visitors to sit while visiting the park. … We just hope the bench gets much use and everybody gets to enjoy it, and we just hope people come and take a look at it, because the artwork on it is very nice.”
He noted that the local Legion branch only played a minor role in this endeavour. It commented on the basic design and gave feedback on the bench details.
“We liked the basic design,” he said. “I think the only thing that we really contributed or suggested was that on the bench it had to say Royal Canadian Legion Branch #56, which they did incorporate into the design, and we're very thankful for them for doing that.”
This veterans bench in Memorial Park is a once- off project, but the City also offers a memorial tree and bench program to the community as a way to honour deceased family members.
“They might have a loved one who grew up in Swift Current and they're just trying to think of a way to memorialize them within the city,” he said. “Some people like the idea of a tree and some people like the idea of the bench.”
The memorial bench program uses standard versions of an outdoor bench that are blue or green and vinyl coated. Memorial trees are planted along the Chinook Parkway and the name of the family member being honoured is inscribed on a granite monument at memorial coulee, which is located on the Chinook Parkway between 4th and 6th Avenue NE.
Details about the memorial bench and tree programs as well as application forms are available on the City website (www. swiftcurrent.ca).