Just days before Canadians pause to honour those who served, a powerful new symbol of remembrance has been unveiled in Perth.
The town’s second Veterans Memorial Crosswalk was officially dedicated Friday at the Perth site of the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital, bringing together veterans, community leaders and residents to recognize the sacrifices made by Canada’s military members and their families.
The colourful crosswalk, featuring poppies, maple leaves and the words “Lest We Forget,” sits outside the Great War Memorial Hospital, a building with its own deep connection to Canada’s military history.
Representatives from Royal Canadian Legion Branch 244, the Town of Perth, the hospital and its foundation attended the ceremony.
Hospital President and CEO Michael Cohan says the dedication carries special significance, particularly following the recent military tragedy at CFB Wainwright in Alberta.
While thousands of patients, visitors and staff pass through the hospital each year, its origins as a memorial can sometimes be overlooked.
The new crosswalk, along with the striking display of red poppies cascading down the hospital’s exterior, helps bring that history back into focus.
For Don Rideout, founder of Operation: Crosswalk, Friday’s dedication marked another emotional milestone in a project that has already left a lasting mark on the town.
Rideout spearheaded efforts to raise money for both memorial crosswalks, including the first near the Crystal Palace and Basin Lane, dedicated June 7.
But his vision has always been about something much bigger than painted pavement.
The location of the latest tribute is especially meaningful.
The Great War Memorial Hospital was established as a lasting tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and the new crosswalk now adds another visible reminder of that legacy.
Cohan says that history continues to shape the hospital’s character, even as it serves the modern health-care needs of Perth, Smiths Falls and surrounding communities.
Getting the crosswalk completed before Remembrance Day was a major priority for Rideout.
An unusually wet summer created challenges for the painting schedule, leaving him concerned the project might not be finished in time.
But with the annual poppy campaign underway and November 11 approaching, Rideout wasn’t willing to give up.
He credits the painter, Norm, for helping make the dedication possible.
The dedication also came at a particularly emotional time for Canada’s military community.
Both Cohan and Rideout reflected on the recent tragedy at CFB Wainwright, a reminder that military service carries risks even during training exercises at home.
Rideout, speaking emotionally, described the commitment made by those who put on a military uniform and the reality that some never return to their families.
It’s a message he hopes people will carry with them whenever they encounter either of Perth’s memorial crosswalks.
The hospital is now preparing to welcome veterans, Legion members and residents for its annual Remembrance Day ceremony on Wednesday, November 11.
The ceremony will take place near the Great War Memorial Hospital site, at the Cenoptaph at the edge of its grounds. It’s also just steps from the newly dedicated crosswalk.
For Rideout, the two landmarks represent something that should never fade with time: a community’s promise to remember.
And as residents gather next week to honour Canada’s fallen, Perth’s newest tribute will serve as a permanent reminder that remembrance doesn’t begin and end on November 11.
It lives on every day.
The ribbon is cut on Perth’s second Veterans’ Memorial Crosswalk spearheaded by Operation: Crosswalk