Beverly cenotaph—Alberta's oldest war memorial—damaged by vandals ahead of Nov. 11

Alberta's oldest war memorial, the Beverly Memorial Cenotaph at the corner of 118 Avenue and 40 Street in northeast Edmonton, has been vandalized in recent weeks—damage that has galvanized its caretakers ahead of the Nov. 11 Remembrance Day service expected to draw more than 4,000 people.

The cenotaph, which opened October 16, 1920, was built by the Beverly Veterans Institute and bears the names of 28 Beverly soldiers who fell in the First World War and 5 who fell in the Second World War. Damage discovered Saturday morning includes graffiti on park benches, a plaque listing park restoration helpers that was removed from a pillar, and a commemorative NATO and United Nations peacekeeping missions plaque that was partly pried away from the cenotaph itself.

Joe Luce, chair of the Beverly Memorial Cenotaph Committee, has maintained the site for 25 years and inspects it every other week, more frequently around Remembrance Day. He suspects the brass plaques were targeted for scrap metal value, noting that copper wire has been stripped away in the past. "Our veterans fought to protect our freedom. The very least we can do is protect the memorials built to honour them," Luce said.

Damage to the cenotaph itself is rare. "It's just when they touch the cenotaph in any way, that to me is a bad thing," Luce said. The cost of repairs has not yet been determined pending a full inspection. Luce has called on the city to take quick action on repairs and improve site surveillance, and has asked residents to keep watch of the park. He expressed concern that the NATO plaque or others could be targeted next.

When Edmonton amalgamated with Beverly in 1961, the park land—originally donated by a local postmaster—was transferred to city maintenance. Luce's goal is to have the cenotaph and park appearance restored before the Nov. 11 service. "This is the spot where people have come for over 100 years to pay their respects," he said.