New Gunners Monument Coming To Saint John
SAINT JOHN–Exactly 24 hours before New Brunswickers will gather to mark Remembrance Day and the centenary of the end of World War One, a new Gunners Monument called “Standing Ready” was unveiled in a ceremony on Saint John’s Harbour Passage, near Fort La Tour.
The event was hosted by the Saint John-based 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, The Loyal Company, which traces its history back well over two centuries. The regiment was founded in 1793 and its members have fought in every major war and engagement of the Canadian military since then.
The monument is centred around a 105mm C1 Howitzer, an artillery piece often used by the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment. It will be placed in a circular depression and surrounded by concrete simulations of sandbags. Sightlines will radiate out from the centre of the circle, pointing to parts of the globe that gunners and their howitzers were deployed. It was designed by Saint John architect Malcolm Boyd.
The monument was spearheaded by John Irving, Honourary Colonel of the 3rd Field Regiment. It is expected to be complete by June 6, 2019, in time to honour the 75th anniversary of Canadian troops storming the beaches of France on D-Day in World War Two.