The people North of Smokey have not given up on the project to have the Never Forgotten National Memorial (NFNM) constructed at Green Cove in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
It must be remembered that the site was recommended by Parks Canada and it satisfies part of the park's mandate regarding the culture and history of our area.
In addition, the NFNM Foundation successfully completed the Indigenous Mi'kmaq Educational Knowledge Study and the national park's rigorous environmental Detailed Impact Analysis. We have also erected a prominent sign in Ingonish adjacent to the Cabot Trail to let the public know that we are "Keeping the Flame Alive."
We are also contacting federal election candidates to seek their future support to honour our fallen.
We were very much enthused and encouraged recently to find out that we weren't the only ones seeking support for this veterans’ memorial. An Ontario man, Lt.-Col. Ferguson Mobbs (ret'd), has informed us that he has garnered official support for the Mother Canada veterans’ memorial from the Orville Hand Branch 521 of the Royal Canadian Legion, the Municipality of Bradford West Gillimbury and the Ontario Provincial Committee of the Air Cadet League of Canada. And he is not stopping there as he is seeking more municipal and legion support in his province.
An Ipsos Reid poll conducted in October of 2015 noted that 80 per cent of Canadians want a monument honouring, not war, but those who gave their lives for Canada. It is our hope that the new federal government will support this project as the Never Forgotten National Memorial Foundation is ready to start gathering donations. Further information on the project may be found on our website friendsofourfallen.ca or nfnm.ca.
Ray Stapleton
Ingonish Center
(Spokesperson, People North of Smokey and Beyond who Support the NFNM
