Sappers honoured with rededication ceremony

CHILLIWACK, B.C.– 7 November 2009, the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Member of the House of Commons
Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon, and Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Canada, and Major-General
Daniel Benjamin, Canadian Forces Chief Military Engineer, today rededicated a memorial to all military engineers
who have laid down their lives for their country.

The All Sappers Memorial recognizes the sacrifices of military engineers, known as sappers, in both peacetime and in war. There are four inscriptions on the memorial, including the one that conveys the essential spirit of all of them: “In Memory of All Sappers of the Empire who have given their lives in the Service of Their Country.”
 

“Military engineers are present everywhere the Canadian Forces go; building defence infrastructure, roads and
waterways, and disarming IEDs” said the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister for
the Atlantic Gateway. “The All Sappers Memorial is a truly fitting memorial that recognized the work, dedication
and sacrifices of Canada’s military engineers.”
 

Lieutenant-Colonel C.N. Mitchell, VC, MC, RCE, Commander of Camp Chilliwack at the time, oversaw the
original design and the construction of the park. The monument, which was originally unveiled by the Governor
General Sir Harold Alexander, Field Marshal the Earl Alexander of Tunis, on July 14, 1946, is made out of granite
stone and weighs 42 tonnes. It was quarried by the Royal Canadian Engineers at nearby Harrison Lake, British
Columbia, and transported to Chilliwack for cutting into the monument present today.
 

Canada Lands Company (CLC) Limited has been the custodian of the All Sappers Memorial since the closure of
Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack in 1998. This year, CLC has committed to spending over $1 million dollars to
revitalize the memorial and enhance the surrounding grounds in preparation for the rededication. Once completed,the site will be turned over to the City of Chilliwack to be maintained in perpetuity as the All Sappers Memorial Park.
 

Chimo!

View original press release on the Canadian Military Engineers website.