Following a $70,000 makeover, the provincial cenotaph in Fredericton was rededicated on Friday. “My dad’s name is Harratio Murray and he’s a veteran of the Second World War,” said Don Murray. The city’s manager of parks and trees said he wanted to show his father the changes made at the provincial cenotaph firsthand.The cenotaph now includes permanent flag poles. “That was one of main goals to see flags on this site, we put a center walkway in, we completely refaced the whole landscape here,” Murray said. Another memorial has been added across the street from the cenotaph. “A soldier fought in the battle brought acorns home to Scarborough Ontario and they've been growing there for 100 years and this is a branch from one of them,” said Jim Landry from Landscape New Brunswick. “It’s actually a tree started at Vimy ridge.” Friday’s ceremony was a rededication for plaques that were stolen from the city’s monument in October 2015. While some of its improvements are symbolic, others have been made in the interest of security following some high profile cases of theft and damage. In 2009, the granite cross of the monument was toppled over. “It’s a pretty low thing you know, it's about as low as you can go, snakes belly I guess,” president of the Roayal Canadian Legion Branch 4, Don Swain said. Officials say the plaques have been mounted in a way that will make them more difficult to steal. Swain says if vandals do go to take the plaques he hopes they will get caught. The cenotaph has been washed, the bushes and brush have been removed from the location and new l-e-d lighting is going to be hooked up. “The lights will help and where its open it will help and people are going to take pride in this and take possession in this and ownership in it,” said Murray. “If there's anyone hanging around the cenotaph up to no good they'll be talked to.” Swain says the city is still discussing adding more security. He said he hopes there will be surveillance cameras to come that will run all day. As part of the update, a piece of commemorative public art will be commissioned for the site next year as well. With files from CTV Atlantic’s Nick Moore.
