In July 2019 Devon Legion Lifetime member Brian Morris commenced a Devon Legion 70th Anniversary (1949-2019) project involving the preservation of the original Devon Legion Fieldstone Cenotaph Black Granite Stone Plaque. The original Cenotaph stone plaque was unveiled in 1962 and was eventually replaced with the current Cenotaph Granite Stone Plaque in 2011. For nearly 50 years thousands of veterans and soldiers have passed by and honoured this Cenotaph stone plaque. The original stone plaque was replaced because it had developed cracks over time and the text was no longer inclusive of all the missions Canadian soldiers have been involved with over the decades around the world. When the original stone plaque was replaced in 2011 it went into storage in the Devon Legion garage. It was wrapped in a piece of cardboard and placed on a shelf for safe keeping. It remained in the Legion garage till 2014 when a work party commenced a thorough cleaning of the garage. To ensure the stone plaque did not get damaged or misplaced Brian Morris secured the stone and transported it to his residential garage for safe keeping until such time as it could be preserved. With 2019 being the Devon Legion's 70th Anniversary, the time was right to commence the preservation project. The preservation project consisted of stabilizing the stone plaque with a sturdy wood frame because of its weight, trimming the frame for appearance, applying stain for colour, applying a gloss finish to seal the wood and finally adding a set of commemorative brass tags. When the preservation work was completed on the stone plaque, the stone plaque was turned back over to a Legion work party consisting of the Branch President Stanley Abma, 1st Vice President Gerald Skocdopole and Legion Building Manager James Hunter. On September 3rd 2019 the work party mounted the framed stone plaque within the Devon Legion Hall where it rightfully belongs. The original stone plaque has not been in public view since 2011 but now it will be available for viewing by all those individuals that participate in events within the Devon Legion Hall, including all those members, guests and dignitaries who attended the Devon Legion's 70th Anniversary banquet and dance held on Saturday September 14th 2019 at 5:30 PM.
Original Cenotaph Stone Plaque Before Preservation
Original Cenotaph Stone Plaque Before Preservation
Initial Rough Cut Wood Framing
Nailed Wood Framing
Stained and Trimmed Wood Framing
Preparing to Apply the Final Finish and Sealer
Final Finish and Sealer Applied
Commemorative Tags Applied & Ready to Install in the Devon Legion Hall
Selecting a Good Spot to Install the Stone Plaque in the Devon Legion Hall
Marking the Spot to Install the Mounting Hardware
Making Sure it is Level Before the Screwing Starts
Installing the Mounting Hardware
Leveling the Framed Stone Plaque before it is Mounted to the Wall
Screwing the Stone Plaque to the Wall - Hang On, Its Heavy!
Almost Finshed with the Mounting
Capping the Screw Holes
The Last One is Always the Hardest - Get In There!
The Clean Up Crew - Suck Up those Wood Chips
All Done - The Devon Legion Work Party
Project Finished - Looks Good on the Wall - The End