The Village of Ile a la Crosse has unveiled its plans for a veterans memorial in the community.
The northern village is planning to construct what will soon be known as the South Bay War Veterans’ park where local war veterans will be honoured for their service.
“Any time veterans receive acknowledgement it makes me feel proud to be Canadian,” said John Belanger, an Air Force and Army Veteran from Ile a la Crosse.
The plan for the memorial includes the inscription of the names of 35 Metis veterans from the region with the hope that more names will be added.
At an event in the northern community on Tuesday, the Metis Nation-Saskatchewan announced $200,000 in funding toward the project through the National Veterans Fund.
“Honouring our past while creating a space that will produce new memories is what the South Bay War Veterans’ Park legacy project is about,” said MN’S President Glen McCallum. “This is our opportunity to pay respect to our veterans and thank them for their service.”
According to local officials, the veterans park has been a vision for the community since 2018.
The memorial will begin construction in the near future.
(PHOTO – MN–S Vice President and Lands and Environment Minister Michelle LeClair, MN–S President Glen McCallum, and MN–S Veterans Minister Mervin ‘Tex’ Bouvier pose in front of the $200,000 cheque from the National Veterans’ Fund to help ILEX further develop the South Bay recreational area. Photo provided by the MN-S.)