Richmond Memorial Park Cenotaph is dedicated to all those who served their country. The eight feet cross is made of dark polished Barre granite from Quebec and is supported by a Stanstead Grey granite base. The cross is illuminated with floodlights year round. Behind the cross is a three feet fieldstone wall with two bronze plaques.
At the end of the Second World War, ex-servicemen returning to Richmond established a Patriotic Trust Fund, the purpose of which was to erect a cenotaph. The fund laid dormant until it was taken over by the Richmond Legion when it was formed in 1973. In 1976, the Legion attempted to build a cenotaph, but had to abandon the idea. When the Richmond Memorial Park was developed by the Township of Goulbourn in 1988, the dream to commemorate those who had served during war was realized.
The concrete footings and base, the Cross (made of Quebec Granite), the wall of local stone and built by John Atkinson (a professional mason), and the two wall plaques were all completed by November 5. Donations from every service club and organization, every business and over 148 private and family donations were received. On 6 November 1988 the former Minister of Defence, the Right Honourable George Hees, formally unveiled the cenotaph.
The cenotaph was destroyed by a micro-burst in 1998. When the cenotaph was rebuilt in the summer/fall of that year, the damaged top was taken to the Richmond Legion hall and used to form the front of the garden wall. The granite cross and accompanying engraved tablet were used to create Fallen... Not Forgotten.
The cenotaph and flower beds alongside it have been maintained by the Cenotaph Committee of the Royal Canadian Legion and the flowers were planted by a class of school children from St. Philip's Catholic School in Richmond when the cenotaph was built.
Richmond is the second oldest military settlement in Ontario. The first settlers were soldiers and their families from British Army regiments that were disbanded in Canada in the late 1800s.
