Legion’s tribute sign for fallen soldier stays
A local Newfoundland branch of the Royal Canadian Legion reversed its decision to move a tribute sign for a fallen Canadian soldier Thursday, in response to public outcry. Members of the legion’s Springdale, N.L., branch voted to relocate the sign at an annual general meeting in late January. They said it slows down traffic by distracting oncoming drivers, according to multiple sources. The sign, commemorating Cpl. Stephen Bouzane, sits by the main road at the mouth of the branch’s parking lot. Aiden Crewe, president of the legion’s Newfoundland and Labrador command, said he ordered Springdale to keep the sign in its current location. “The decision they made was wrong,” he said. “I’m appalled that they voted to take it down, really. Bouzane’s father, Fred Bouzane of St. Alban’s, N.L., said he was appalled by Springdale’s decision to move the sign, which was unveiled last October. “We were a bit angry and hurt — really hurt — because (it) really disrespected Stephen’s memory, especially for a legion — and a legion built by veterans,” he told the Star.
The 26-year-old corporal and two comrades were killed in Afghanistan on June 20, 2007, when their unarmoured all-terrain vehicle struck a roadside bomb near a town southwest of Kandahar.
The legion wanted to place the sign on the outside wall of the legion building, but Bouzane objected because it is too far from the main road, he said. “What’s the point of getting the sign made if nobody’s gonna see it?”
The sign’s location has not caused any problems, according to Harvey Tizzard, Springdale’s mayor.
“From all indications, it didn’t seem like it would cause any traffic hazards,” he said, adding that his staff conducted an investigation.
Dominion Command, the legion’s Ottawa headquarters, has no official policy on tribute signs for fallen soldiers, said spokesperson Bob Butt. He declined to comment until he had more details regarding the incident, but said, “I generally agree . . . it disrespects their son.”
Bouzane said this experience has soured his view of the Springdale legion. “Legions in general I’ve still got respect for. Just the legion up there I don’t have the same amount of respect for.
“The damage is done now.”