By Mark Squibb/July 8, 2022
A day of celebration across Canada, July 1 is also a sombre day for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians as they gather at war monuments across the province to remember the approximately 700 soldiers of the 1st Newfoundland Regiment who were killed or wounded at Beaumont-Hamel during the opening day of the Battle of the Somme.
The occasion held a special significance in Trepassey this year, as residents and dignitaries gathered for the first ever service at the town’s new war memorial.
The monument is a labor of love three years in the making, headed up by a five-person committee.
“It links the past to the present,” said Marina Halleran, a member of that committee. “It enables people to remember and respect the sacrifice of those who fought and were affected. The thing I spoke to the people about was that it does not remember a particular war, but all those who have gone on before us. So, this monument is put in place for the people who fought for freedom for generations yet to come… We all had the same vision, the same dream, that a monument should be out in place. So, we got together, and we worked at it.”
Halleran estimates the monument cost about $59,000. The group secured a $25,000 Community War Memorial grant from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs back in July 2021. The remainder of the cost was covered by personal and business donations.
The monument has since become a source of pride for the community.
“We have a lot of tourists driving through the Irish Loop, and I’ve met tourists from France, and from Quebec, that just happen to be up looking at the monument, and it makes me so proud when they’ve said to me, ‘It’s one of the most beautiful monuments we have ever encountered,’ said Halleran. That gives you so much pride in it.”
For Halleran, who herself served with the military for over 30 years, there’s a close personal connection as well — the monument bears the name of her father, Gordon Halleran.
“The Merchant Navy were not really recognised back in the day,” said Halleran. “They’re the ones who went out on the water without any fighting equipment to bring staples and supplies to the British and other Allied units, even here in the waters in Trepassey. And I am so proud to say that my dad was one of them, and his name has been added to that monument.”
For members of other communities who would like to undertake an effort to erect a monument in their own towns, Halleran suggests they start with the federal government.
“All they have to do is call Veterans Affairs and tell them they would like to begin a new monument, or restore a monument, and they’re very helpful,” said Halleran. “That’s where you will get most of your information.”
