With construction of the new Standard Community Hall proceeding full steam ahead, residents of the village are using the opportunity to embark on a project to revive one of the community’s landmarks
Plans are in the works to relocate the Standard Cenotaph next to the new hall in time for next Remembrance Day.
“We’re just getting started. We’re still working on a final plan. It’s still in its infancy stages,” said Brett Gates, who is spearheading the project.
The current Cenotaph stands in front of the Standard Arena. It has stood for decades and is showing signs of its age. The hope for the project is not just move the Centopah, but rebuild it as well.
“The old one is getting pretty dilapidated and it needs some work. The location will be much better up there. Some of our vets built the current one originally. We’re trying to keep as much of it as we can, but I think we might only be able to salvage the plaque,” said Gates. “It’s done well over the years, but with the wear and tear, there’s quite a few cracks. We’ve patched it a couple times, but it needs to be redone.”
The plaque on the Cenotaph doesn’t contain any specific names of those who went to war from the area, but instead honours everyone.
The new Cenotaph would be surrounded by a sitting area, benches, and flower beds.
The committee in charge of the project has just begun planning and fundraising. At this time, there is no finalized design. It is hoped everything will be ready in time for Standard’s Remembrance Day ceremonies next November.
Anyone wishing to get involved in the project are encouraged to contact Gates at 403-644-3757.
