The cenotaph is a tall, upright stone monument, which draws attention by virtue of its height and its position on the top of the hill. The square base is made up of stone, with a smooth top and the sides left as natural stone. The bottom portion on the east and north sides has been left as if natural stone, with the carved monument rising from it. This motif can represent lives left unfinished, symbolizing the loss of young people in war. It can also represent the idea of resurrection arising from the harsh strife of war. On the south and west side, the upright face is smooth and plain. The south side originally would have featured a plaque with the 36 names of those lost in the First World War. This original plaque was removed and in 1951-1952 and a new, much larger one, with the names from both the First and Second World Wars included was affixed to the monument under the words “OUR/ GLORIOUS/ DEAD.”

On the top of the upright on the east and west faces is decorative stone carving on either side, symbolic representations of eternal flames. Below that, beginning near the bottom are carved each of the years of the First World War. On the north side of the cenotaph, about halfway up, the stone is inscribed with “IN/ HONOURED/ MEMORY/ OF OUR/ GLORIOUS/ DEAD.” At the bottom is a sheathed brass sword deeply embedded in the natural part of the stone.  Behind the sword is inscribed in the upright smooth stone: “THE STRIFE IS O'ER/ THEIR DUTY DONE/ DEEP BURIED LIES/ THE SWORD." The first two lines are drawn from a well-known Christian hymn commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ: “The strife is o'er, the battle done.” Its use on the cenotaph suggests both peace and eternal reward for those who fought and died, sacrificing themselves for others. This became a common motif in Canadians’ remembrance of the war dead. 

Similarly, the phrase “deep buried lies the sword” was often used on war memorials across Canada. It was an expression of the hope and belief that the sacrifices of the dead were made to ensure lasting peace – no more need for swords. Below the sword, a plaque was more recently added to commemorate the dead of the township and village of Humberstone.

The plaque is 90" high and 26" wide. The granite monument is 15' high.