Bob Oldford, past president of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 65 in Portage la Prairie, says the cenotaph expansion has been in the works for two years. He presented proposals to the city in February, and approval followed within days. A donation account was set up in March, starting with support from the Legion. Community donations from individuals, businesses, and local groups raised more than $30,000. The original estimate was $25,000, but restoration needs increased the cost. “The project, which originally started off as thought of being about $25,000, grew in cost because we realized there was some restoration work that had to be done on the cenotaph,” notes Oldford. “I am happy to say that we have been able to raise over $30,000.” Local support and donors A $20,000 donation from Robert and Sandy Shindleman led the way. Other donors have asked to remain anonymous, though all have been invited to the dedication ceremony. Families of those whose names are engraved will also be present. “There will be members of the family, a couple of members of the families from the military stone that will be there,” says Oldford. “We are hoping that on the RCMP side, a member of the family of one of the officers listed will also be there to help unveil the stones.” Details of the expansion The expansion includes new red concrete walkways and two black marble stones, each four feet high and weighing about 1,200 pounds. “These are brand new stones,” adds Oldford. “Everything to do with this expansion of the cenotaph has been done by local companies.” Honouring sacrifices Until now, the cenotaph displayed names from the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War. Oldford says this expansion ensures more recent sacrifices are recognized. “There has been nothing added since the Korean War,” continues Oldford. “We felt it was time to honour those veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice since then.” The dedication ceremony is set for Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 2 p.m. downtown. Members of the RCMP pipe and drum band are expected to attend. Here are the names on the stones: Military Stone Cpl Melanie Crawford Pte Christopher Holopina MCpl Timothy Wilson Sgt Shawn Eades RCMP Stone Cst Reginald Williams Cst Bruce Davis Cst Peter Magdic Sign up to get the latest local news headlines delivered directly to your inbox every afternoon. Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@portageonline.com. PortageOnline encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the PortageOnline app.