Dedication of Harrowsmith Memorial Arch and Wall
It took a lot of time and a lot of persistence for Brenda Crawford to fulfill a promise that she made to her father, but fortunately persistence is one of Brenda’s strong suits.
Last Friday (June 19) Brenda presided over a ribbon cutting that has taken years to orchestrate.
Starting about 10 years ago South Frontenac redesigned the Harrowsmith intersection, which included making a dead end out of Colebrook Road, with a small public space next to the sidewalk off Road 38. Brenda, at that time, approached then Public Works manager, Mark Segsworth, about building up the space in that location for a tribute wall and a courtyard.
She then worked with local contractors and donated money to build a wall capable of accepting plaques, which families can purchase. A sculpture donated by the late Rick Law was already in place, and the final piece, a Remembrance Arch built by Godfrey based Industrial Metal Form, was recently installed.
For the ceremony, she invited local politicians, friends and neighbours, Chief Randy Malcolm from the Snimikobe First Nation, and students from both Harrowsmith Public School and St. Patrick Catholic School to attend, and they all showed up.
One of Brenda’s goals with the project was to involve youth in Remembrance Day events, and the fact that both schools are located within walking distance of the site, which will be hosting Remembrance Day Ceremonies, is an important feature for her.
Brenda's father, Harold Snider, and Rod's father, Cam Crawford, both served in World War 2. They both went off to war, like others from across the region, by boarding trains in Harrowsmith, which was a railway junction town, at that time.
Before cutting the ribbon to formally dedicate the site, emotions caught up with Brenda.
“For many years I have had a need to remember and honour our military members from
South Frontenac, past and present,” she said.
“I made a promise to my father that I would make every attempt to get this accomplished, and Dad, we did it.”
She did indeed
