Executive Council
Tourism, Culture and Recreation
July 1, 2007

Premier Announces Plan to Replicate Beaumont Hamel Plaques

On this Memorial Day, a day to remember Newfoundland and Labrador soldiers who gave their lives in defence of freedom, the Honourable Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, announced plans to symbolically bring home the men who gave their lives in the First World War and have no known gravesites.

During a special ceremony and wreath-laying, Premier Williams gave details of how plaques at the Beaumont Hamel Newfoundland Memorial in France will be replicated at the province�s Caribou Memorial at Bowring Park in St. John�s. The Beaumont Hamel Memorial contains three plaques that bear the names of 820 fallen members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, the Royal Navy Reserve, and the Newfoundland Mercantile Marine. By next Memorial Day, replicas of those three bronze plaques will be present at the provincial memorial.

"Those young men fought and died for our freedom. We will never forget this and we must always appreciate that they paid for our freedom with their lives," said Premier Williams. "The Caribou Memorial in beautiful Bowring Park has always been a fitting tribute to these heroes who fell in our defence. Now we have a chance to further honour the sacrifice of these brave men by placing their names on this memorial in Newfoundland and Labrador just as they are placed on the memorial at Beaumont Hamel. In a small and symbolic way, we will finally bring these soldiers home."

"The memorial will always stand as a tribute to all who served in the Royal Newfoundland Regiment," said His Honour, the Honourable Edward Roberts, Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. "It will now also pay particular tribute to those whose resting places are �known only to God,� in the evocative phrase carved upon so many headstones, and to the Newfoundlanders who died at sea during the war."

Plans to replicate the Beaumont Hamel plaques are already underway. A project team lead by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, the City of St. John�s, the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, the Regiment Council, and the Royal Canadian Legion, will be responsible for design, development and construction of the plaques.

"One cannot help but be moved by the sight of the Caribou Memorial in Bowring Park, knowing that the caribou is a symbol of our Royal Newfoundland Regiment and that there are five other caribou memorials that mark the sites of battles fought by the regiment during the First World War," said the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. "It is comforting to know that the names of the heroic young men who died in that conflict without a grave to mark their passing will have a place at this site, in their home province, where we can continue to honour them."

"I thank Premier Williams for his initiative and look forward to participating next July 1 when the plaques will be unveiled," said Mayor Wells. "I can assure the Premier of the city�s cooperation in this project and I look forward to its completion."

Members of the regiment marched on parade at today�s ceremony under the command of LCol John MacDonald. Honorary LCol Kevin Hutchings spoke on behalf of the regiment.

"I would like to say thank you to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the City of St. John�s for allowing this to happen right here in Bowring Park," said LCol Hutchings. "Until now, most Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have only ever seen pictures of the plaques of those men who have no known graves. When this is completed, people will have much easier access to view their ancestors� names just as they appear at Beaumont Hamel in France."

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Media contacts:

Elizabeth Matthews
Director of Communications
Office of the Premier
709 729-3960, 351-1227
elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca
John Tompkins
Director of Communications
Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
709 729-3960, 728-7762
jtompkins@gov.nl.ca

2007 07 01                                                2:05 p.m.

 


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