Memorial Wall Updates

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July 2015

All repairs to the Memorial Wall have been completed and it has been turned over the National Capital Commission (NCC).

December 2014

The Memorial Wall is back together with the corrections received over the last few years in place.  There is some light maintenance left for warmer weather next spring. We are pleased that it was ready for the November 11 and December 6 services. Big thank you to Randy Wing and Derrill Henderson who headed up the operations and dealt with the necessary issues to accomplish this.

November 2014

The Wall is back together but will need some maintenance in the spring to clean it up - Big thanks to Randy and Derrill for heading up this project. Still waiting for final NCC OK

July 2014

Meetings have been held with a company that has agreed to do the work of replacing panels and correcting mis-spellings, pending paperwork and permits that need to be obtained to make the changes. This will mean dismantling the Wall so the panels can be reused – which will save money. However, equipment and permits to do the work are costly so we are still fundraising - please send any ideas for this to the BOD so that we can guide you. Donations are always accepted (with a tax receipt issued). Send them to Treasurer Barry Mitchell with a note to say where the money is to be dedicated.

 

So if you are planning a trip to Ottawa this summer, there is a strong possibility that the wall may be under construction. We don't have the exact dates of the work, but once we do know, we can post an update on the website. Please be aware that you may not be able to approach the wall if it is being worked on and panels may in fact be missing. This will be the last time that it will be inaccessible to the public. There will be no more changes.

 

July 2010

The Memorial Wall has been completed as the landscaping is finished.  It looks terrific as you can see by the photos that have been supplied by Derrill Henderson’s daughter and granddaughter and Mike Babin's daughter. Our bills are paid for the construction and now we wait to see what the National Capitol Commission will assess our project, as we need to give them 10% for the perpetuity fund when we turn the project back to them.  We also have some name corrections to do but are waiting for a quote from the granite company.  Depending on these values we may not be finished with fundraising. 

In the future we will put in some lighting for better focus on the wall and as security.  However we will need more funds to do this. The groundwork has been done as we anticipated this when the landscaping was in the works and had conduit laid with the necessary wiring – so the biggest part of the cost has been paid. 

We have great visible access to the wall from both Sussex and King Edward which are main streets for anyone traveling in Ottawa as the Wall is mid way between the Parliament Buildings and the Prime Minister’s residence.  Recently when the Queen was here Derrill represented the HKVCA at a function where he received these comments on July 1st,"General Natynczyk came over to me (Derrill) after the Queen left and said, “That memorial is the most distinctive I have ever seen. It is beautiful! Congratulations to your group - a remarkable achievement."  How cool is that!! and how proud we can all be to have a part in this tribute to some remarkable Canadians. 

My husband and I are very excited as we will be traveling to Ottawa for August 15 and the 65th Anniversary of VJ Day (Victory over Japan) to see the Wall for the first time and for a brief memorial service to mark this special occasion.  I hope many others will take the opportunity to attend if you are in the area. 

We have many people to thank who have donated their time, money and expertise to make our veterans' dream become a reality. Over half of the money donated to the project came from our members, veterans, family and friends of the Hong Kong Veterans and we greatly appreciate their efforts to make this project successful.  I am truly grateful to have been associated with this project and the Committee consisting of Phil Doddridge, Derrill Henderson, Barry Mitchell, Murray Doull and Ron McGuire with the wonderful addition of Randy Wing, who all have been diligent in their efforts to make this a wonderful tribute to our Canadians who served in Hong Kong.

Carol Hadley

June 2010

Derrill was down on Monday – the wall is poured and yesterday the forms came off and the sanding was done today to give a “finish” to the seating wall.
 
 The memorial wall is covered to prevent any damage that might accidentally occur. The contractor is really taking no chances.
 
The trees have been moved and the ground prepared for the “western” grass leading to the wall. Boulders have been selected and on site other than the one for the plaque.

The 1st phase of the slab is to be poured Friday, June 18 with the 2nd phase completed mid next week with soft landscaping complete by the end of June.
 
We have great visible access to the wall from both Sussex and King Edward.
 
Things are moving along well.
 
We have completed the final form for Heritage Canada with Barry sending the audited statement to Derrill and Derrill will deliver it to them.  We will be notified if all is satisfactory and receive a cheque for $25,000, which should complete this project.
 
I am truly grateful to have been associated with this project and the Committee of Phil Doddridge, Derrill Henderson, Barry Mitchell, Murray Doull and Ron McGuire with the wonderful addition of Randy Wing, who have been diligent in their efforts to make this a wonderful tribute to our Canadians who served in Hong Kong.

Carol Hadley, for
The Wall Committee

May 2010

We are proceeding with the landscaping work in Ottawa. 
 
The site access permit is in Derrill’s hands and the company that we have engaged is in the process of doing the work. 
 
We also have forwarded the list of names that need to be corrected and await a cost in doing this.  We hope to have this work done in parallel with the landscaping once the big equipment is done.  We have been assured the work will be completed by the end of June.
 
Thank you for your patience.
 
The Wall committee.

February 2010

Things are moving forward – the updated drawings have been forwarded to a granite company for review for suggestions on the hard landscaping. 

 

There is still some cost gathering to be done but NCC is able to use their sole sourcing for some of the work, which will save us time. One of the principles was away on vacation but we expect to hear from him top of next week.

 

We had an aggressive schedule and there has been some delay but there are no major time issues this year.

 

Will keep you posted.

 

Thanks

 

Memorial Wall committee

 

January 2010

Happy New Year to you all!!

Several thank you cards and phone calls have been received from veterans and their families after reviewing the DVD that has been produced.  One person who attended the event said it was better than being there as they were so far back and missed a lot.  Congratulations to Derrill and the War Amps for this wonderful souvenir for the vets and widows.

As you have seen with Barry’s financial statements we have received almost $400K in donations with a balance of $104,086 and another $25K to come from Heritage Canada. There were donations from Hong Kong that Barry will probably mention and we are very grateful for their contribution. We hope this will cover the next stage of our project – landscaping. 

At a recent meeting with the NCC the next stage was outlined regarding necessary professional assistance, materials and scope of work. The NCC has agreed to assist with the work – they will do the soft and we do the hard work, which equates to us doing the concrete/granite work and they do planting, etc.

Over the next 2 weeks the drawings will be reviewed and necessary revisions completed.  By February 12 cost estimates will be gathered then reviewed by all to determine the division of work.  Once we obtain estimates for the work, the work will be divided between the NCC and our team to the group that can best manage the work, mitigate risk and complete the work within budget. M&L Contractors will be asked to do the work for the hard landscaping within the budget allocated as they provide high quality work at a fair and reasonable cost.  Using M&L reduces the risk to us, as they know the work, work well with the NCC and they have a vested interest in seeing this project to completion (pride).  A contract will go out to approved companies by the end of February asking for a start date by the end of April, weather permitting, and a completion date of June 30^th.

We will keep you updated as to the progress.

Respectfully submitted

Memorial Wall Committee

 

Wall Update for Nov 2009

Derrill has signed the papers with Heritage Canada and we await the money. He has another grant that needs to be finalized and submitted to another foundation which should happen after Remembrance Week. We continue to solicit funds as we are into our loans to meet our commitments. We are anticipating another grant that may be enough to complete the project and then we have the perpetuity fund ・ so we will see how far we can stretch the money. We were pleased to hear ON region finalized the concert and to see the contribution of $24,000+.

Jim Lennox is completing some work before he can do the as-builts* of the site so that we can tender the landscaping. Randy Wing is asking Polycor for a quote to do the name corrections on the wall ・ this can also only be done in warm weather so will be initiated next year. This will give families time to review the names and let us know of any other errors.

As soon as we have the as-builts* we will ask for a meeting with NCC to discuss the next step of the project and formulate a plan for the balance of the work.

MB Ed Committee had a display at the Annual MSSTA (Manitoba Social Science Teachers Assoc) Conference in Oct where there was info on the Wall. Also a display is in the Manitoba Museum from Nov 2 ・ 16 with Wall info and a presentation was made in Pilot Mound where 14 WG came from (their Legion made a donation of $100 for each of them).

We encourage every Region to continue to promote this project and use the updated brochure that is on our website. I have asked our Chinese community to do a translation of this new brochure to send to Hong Kong for their event. Bruce MacNamara, Upper School History Teacher, Director, International Witness to War Project, Canadian International School of Hong Kong informed us of their annual event, honouring WWII veterans and this year the Canadian HK vets will be recognized. The students are fundraising for the landscaping and the cheque will be presented at this event to be held on Dec 5 which will be presented to Patricia Osborn on our behalf as she will be an honoured guest at this event.

Respectfully submitted

Memorial Wall Committee

*as-built drawings ・ As-builts is when you make the dwgs as the object was built because changes occurred during construction

 

Wall Update for Oct 2009

The Wall is complete now, as you have seen by the pictures that Derrill took and shared with everyone. 

We are waiting for Jim Lennox to have time to do as-builts* of the site so that we can tender the landscaping.  As the weather is closing in fast the work will be done in the Spring. We are also asking for a quote from Polycor to do the name corrections on the wall – this can also only be done in warm weather so will be initiated next year.  This will give families time to review the names and let us know of any other errors.

We are reviewing the paperwork for a grant that was applied for with Heritage Canada, which will help pay the costs incurred to date.  We are anticipating another grant that may be enough to complete the project and then we have the perpetuity fund – so we will see how far we can stretch the money.  We are still waiting for ON region to finalize the concert to see what that contribution will realize and what amount would be pledged to the contingency fund.

As soon as we have the as-builts* we will ask for a meeting with NCC to discuss the next step of the project and formulate a plan for the balance of the work.

That’s it for now – have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

 

Respectfully submitted

Memorial Wall Committee

*as-built drawings – As-builts is when you make the dwgs as the object was built because changes occurred during construction

 

Wall Update for Sep 2009

The good news is that most of the Wall was in place for the August 15 ceremony. Congratulations to Derrill and the committees that worked on the ceremony and convention - by all reports everyone had a grand time. We still need to finish the landscaping that needs to be completed in a timely manner so there is still work and money needed.

Even though there was extensive research of military records to ensure we had correct information, we have been informed of some errors on the wall and are attempting to rectify any errors before the Wall is completed.

We are grateful to many people who were outstanding in making the Wall a reality and achieving the very tight dates of the event.  We have tried to keep you aware of this incredible team and for the most part they were recognized at the Convention dinner.

As previously reported we need another $150,000 to complete the project. Most of the Regions loaned us money to have the foundation done, which will be paid back as soon as funds permit.

We have sent proposals for funds to government agencies, veterans associations, corporations in Manitoba with some successes but from many, we haven 't heard back.

To our members who have been so generous to date, we ask that you look around your community to see if there is opportunity for fundraising or to solicit funds from people or companies or associations around you.  We have information that can be sent them but we need the leads and contact information.

Mike Babin, the ON Region and the Hong Kong Economic Trade Organization held a successful fundraising concert in early August with profits going to the Wall project.

One of the wonderful residuals that came from the media exposure (that was begun by the Winnipeg Free Press) was increase to our memberships as people across Canada became aware of our Association. 

Dave O 'Brien, Editorial writer and Bob Cox, Publisher of the Winnipeg Free Press were instrumental in triggering the media across the country. Mia Rabson, Free Press reporter in Ottawa was also involved. Dave's father flew with Commodore Birchell and their families were close which gave Dave an interest in the Far East theatre of war and the Battle of Hong Kong. Plaques were presented to the Winnipeg Free Press and Dave O'Brien in appreciation of their interest, support and believe in our project.

That's it for now - Memorial Wall Committee

 

 

Construction Photos - posted 2 Aug

WALL UPDATE FOR July 2009

Pat Atkinson, MB region, has sent out 54 letters to RCL branches in MB and NW ON, which is our command; and 9 ANAVETs. She also sent out appeals to her family, friends and colleagues. Pat and I have done presentations at her school, which has a diverse culture from the students who were very in tune with our history as their families were involved also.
I sent out

6 letters specifically to branches of RCL that I know personally, some of the Legions are using their Poppy Fund for donations to us which is a suggestion to the Legions in your area.

sent emails to 12 Manitoba MP's - heard from 3 of them and Barry and I will be meeting next week with one of them whose grandfather was a HK vet; another one offered suggestions to seek funding but we have already used them which I indicated in my reply but no further correspondence with him. 

Sent emails to the 3 MLA's in my area and heard back from the assistant of 1 who is the Military Envoy for the Province and her assistant will arrange a meeting when she returns. 

My city councillor is sending a personal cheque and one from his discretionary fund.

I also sent info to the Japanese Embassy in Toronto no reply yet.

I also sent out an appeal to my family, friends, former coworkers and have received 6 responses that they have or are going to donate.

Barry and I have been seeking fundraisers or people who have been involved with fundraising and sending our info pkgs no takers yet.  We have asked for a meeting Monday a.m. to see a demo of what can be offered from a suggestion sent to us by Jim Trick. I have mostly received adverse opinions about professional fundraisers but the major issue is we are too small in the amount of money that we need; the legal documents that they have; and donors dont like using them. However, we are still continuing the search for someone in our spare time.

In the meantime Barry and I have prepared a couple of proposals to local foundations, and one to the Canada Remembers for funds to do the memory book/DVD. Derrill has submitted a proposal to Canadian Heritage for funds.

Tom Foster, MB region has contacted the Premier, as they used to work together, for a meeting and money.  Tom also suggested a couple of companies that we hadnt thought of before so we are sending our info to them. So we can add Bristol Aircraft, Standard Aero, Winnipeg Airports Authority Inc, Boeing Canada Technology, Magellan Aerospace (Bristol Aerospace), and New Flyer Industries Limited who will receive our request for funds. If they contact us we will send a formal proposal.

You all know of our media coverage through a contact that I have and I have talked to the publisher of the paper who is thinking of a strategy that we may try; he is going to contact me top of the week.

Sylvie Wiebe, member from Fort Nelson, is contacting oil companies in her area like: Encana, Hardcastle, North Forest Resources, Normandeau Rentals, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, the Fort Nelson Band and a few others.

I told our helpers we need the names of companies/people that they contact so there is no duplication - which quickly ruins your credibility.

WALL INFO:

1. The lettering for the wall has been approved and NCC has issued a new profile for the top of the wall and we hope to have the drafting of this early next week but the mats for the sandblasting are in process - which is good news. With the drafting of the new profile I will send it to have the rendering done for upcoming fundraising.

2. Now the bad news - we have had serious issues with drilling for the foundation so a new design was needed to ensure stability of the wall.  We hope to have that on Monday from the structural engineer and then approvals from NCC and the geotech people and with luck we should be back to work on Tuesday making the schedule tighter but doable. We are grateful to Randy Wing for spearheading the project through the construction stage, with the help of our site engineer, structural engineer and the NCC engineer that have had to make quick effective decisions to solve issues that presented themselves.

· Plaques we have identified 10 donors who have personally given $3000 or more so will receive a plaque, which Derrill will have done in Ottawa with the presentation happening at the dinner. We have also identified 3 people who are non-members Jim Lennox, Landscape Architect; Rick Cuniffe, Structural Engineer, Lauren Heinrichs, Graphics artist who have donated their time with this project, which would amount to many thousands of dollars so we feel should be recognized for their contribution.

This is where we are to date - Respectfully submitted - Memorial Wall Committee

 

June 2009

The HKVCA National Executive has had to make some tough decisions regarding this project.

Due to the prestigious site that the NCC has given us in Ottawa the design for the wall needed to change to enhance the area.  With these changes we were expecting some cost increases – however we were shocked to see how much.  We have to deal with the NCC approved companies and we are building in prime time so the cost was a huge difference.

However the good news is we are proceeding!  We have the money to purchase the granite, engraving and installation BUT we need to continue fundraising to do the foundation and landscaping.

We need another $150,000 to complete the project.  WOW that sounds like a lot – and it is – however if we break it down to 1000 people/companies contributing $150 or 500 people/companies contributing $300 – you get the picture.  We have asked the Regions to loan us some money to have the foundation done but we need to pay that back in a timely manner.

We have approached a couple of other government agencies and veterans associations for funds but we are hoping that our members who have been so generous to date, will look around in their community to see if there is opportunity to solicit funds from people or companies or associations around you.

The landscaping will be done after the dedication, money permitting, as we need the space for our members and the Hong Kong childrens orchestra and choir to perform at the ceremony.

We are grateful for the help of Randy Wing, HKVCA member in Ottawa, who has been terrific with expediting this project, of Lauren Heinrichs (granddaughter of Ferd Poitras, WG, HK vet deceased and daughter of Pam Heinrichs – MB Ed committee) who did a lot of the graphics work, of Jim Lennox who worked on the new wall design and landscaping and for Rick Cunliffe who designed the foundation.

That’s it for now we will see you in Ottawa for the dedication. - 

Memorial Wall Committee

 

 

Mar 2009

As you see our wall has undergone some changes. We have had a busy few months with several Review groups seeing our design and making suggestions to have it more ‘artistic’.  The graphic above depicts the 4 mountains that the Canadians fought on in Hong Kong.

The landscaping will be similar to what was proposed with prairie grasses, red granite from Quebec and the black granite for the wall – it will be an awesome sight for all to see.

We are now working on the graphics for the wall.  With the help of Lauren Heinrichs (granddaughter of  Ferd Poitras, WG, HK vet, deceased and daughter of Pam Heinrichs – MB Ed committee) we have an expert to work with the graphics group in Ottawa. 

The geotechnical work has been done and we await the design foundation from a structural engineer in Ottawa, Rick Cunliffe.

In the meantime we received a donation from the representative of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Macau, Tony Atherton, and Tony Banham in Hong Kong where some ceremonies were held in Macau and Hong Kong in December regarding the Battle of Hong Kong. 

Thanks to all the Regions and members that have continued to support the Wall project we have just passed $136,000.

That’s it for now we will keep you informed of developments.

 

-  Memorial Wall Committee

January 2009 Update

The Memorial Wall committee and the NCC met on December 16 to review preparations for the Peer Review Committee that will approve the design for our project the Review occurred the next day and received the summary of the meeting on January 14, 2009.

On January 15, 2009, we met with NCC to review the summary and discuss the next steps. Basically the design concept of the Harbour (riverbank) is the one that the Committee approves with some modifications. We hope to have these ironed out next week so that drawings can be prepared for tender.

In the meantime we had scheduled the geotechnical work for January 15. Two holes will be done and the results will determine the foundation of the wall as well as substantiate the selection of the wall location. However due to the inclement weather the work has been rescheduled to January 21, 2009. The drilling has occurred successfully, is undergoing analysis and we will get the report the beginning of February.

We are working with NCC who will supply names of landscaping and other material companies that they approve and we will be approaching them with the prospect of donating material, nursery items, etc. We are hoping to micromanage the project to save some money.

Mike Babin approached the Wall Committee with a proposition from the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office. Mike, as representative of the Wall Committee, met with the Director of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (HKETO), Maureen Siu.  This organization is responsible for fostering trade and cultural links between Hong Kong and other countries  …  in this case, Canada.  They've seen the publicity generated in the Chinese media about the Wall, and were interested in exploring how they might help us to raise funds for it and assist with the unveiling.  The HKETO is interested in this because they see the Wall as an opportunity to promote and strengthen the relationship between Hong Kong and Canada, which is their mandate.

Mike is working with the HKETO with this fundraiser involving the Hong Kong Children's Symphony Orchestra [Yips Childrens Choral & Performing Arts Centre (YCCPAC)] who will be in Canada and performing in Toronto on the weekend of August 8.  The Toronto organizers of the event are proposing that this be a fundraiser for the Memorial Wall. As the arrangements develop we will supply more information.

We have heard from the Representative of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Macau, Mr Tony Atherton, and Tony Banham in Hong Kong that the ceremonies that were held in Macau and Hong Kong in December regarding the Battle of Hong Kong, were well attended and the brochures distributed. They will be forwarding $150 that was the result of donations made to the Wall and we can only hope that more will follow.

Thanks to all the Regions and members that have continued to support the Wall project we have just passed $125,000 with promises of more in the New Year.

Thats it for now we will keep you informed of developments. - Memorial Wall Committee

 

November/December 2008 update

December 2, 2008 NCC meeting went well as we reviewed 2 area concepts in preparation to the NCC Design Review, which is the next step with this project. There have also been some considerations of slight changes to the wall design to tell more of the story.

Jim Lennox has done some sketches to change the wall height to be wavy and added contour to the wall to meet this artistic concept. He will be 'fleshing' this concept out with input from the material suppliers to be ready for presentation to the NCC Design Review committee on December 17^th.

The site will be enhanced by the use of China Black Granite for the wall, then Quebec red granite and Manitoba tyndall stone for accents in the walkways; fragrant plantings to bring in the concept of the name Hong Kong (which means Fragrant Harbour) and drifts of tall grasses to simulate waves of the South China Sea and the prairies will all aid in the visual aspect of approaching this phenomenal memorial in its prominent location in Ottawa.

We have approached DST Consulting Engineers to do a couple of drill holes to determine the foundation for the wall as well as helping in the decision of which of the 2 locations on the site would be better.

We will start getting estimates for the extra landscaping that has been incorporated into these new concepts by approaching companies with the prospect of donating material, nursery items, etc and paying for the labour to ensure insurance coverage.

We hope to be ordering the wall material early in the New Year to be ready for construction to begin in the spring. So far we are close to being on target with our scheduling.

In the meantime we have heard from the Representative of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Macau, Mr Tony Atherton, and Tony Banham in Hong Kong that there are some ceremonies to be held in Macau and Hong Kong in December regarding the Battle of Hong Kong focusing on the Canadian contingent, which they hope, will result in donations being made to the Wall. So we have sent them the brochure in English and Chinese to aid in their efforts.

Thanks to all the Regions and members that have continued to support the Wall project we have just passed $125,000 with promises of more in the new year.

That's it for now we will keep you informed of developments. - Memorial Wall Committee

 

 

August, 2008 update

The building of our Memorial Wall will encompass three phases and our fund raising activities will reflect these steps which are necessary for a project of this size. First, we estimate that the cost of the actual wall itself, material and labour, will cost about $100,000 and our initial objective has now been reached to cover that amount. The second challenge is to conduct the various studies which are necessary to erect a monument in the heart of a major city and we must address the costs of environment studies, foundation analysis, design configurations, and so on. This could cost us another $20,000 and must be completed before building permits can be issued. Finally, there are other considerations that we might want to address once the wall is built, such as a statue of Gander, benches for viewing, perimeter lighting and so on. We are allowing another $30,000 for a third phase to accommodate these items.

Prior to our monthly meeting with NCC on Tuesday August 19, 2008, we were issued a draft of our contract to review, a copy of the Environmental Site Assessment, a contour model of the site and a preliminary query document from the NCC design committee to get background to our design.

We prepared a document for the NCC design committee addressing their queries showing them the progression that we went through in deciding on our design complete with sketches of the old designs.

We have retained the services of a structural civil engineer, Rick Cuniffe, who will be working with us to determine the foundation for our design. Rick will be donating some of his resources to our project as his contribution to the cause. We have also engaged a geotechnical engineering company, DST Consulting Engineering, to carry out the soil testing work and they also, will be contributing to our project. This soil work should commence in the next week or two.

It was very good news to have the Environmental Site Assessment that was done in 2006 and still valid, as it will save us time and money. NCC also issued to us a contour model of our site with pictures of the area that they see as the placement for the Wall which will aid our Landscape Architect.

We have reviewed the contract with NCC, identifying some items that we feel need to be addressed and the document will go to our lawyer for review prior to the signing.

NCC had asked to have a better sample of text so a graphics expert in Winnipeg, Lauren Heinrichs, granddaughter of Ferd Poitras, will be reviewing the type of font and the alignment on the wall, making suggestions for change. When this has been completed we will have the granite company do a sample on the black granite for the NCC design committee.

Considering this is prime vacation time I feel that we are adhering to our schedule and we are grateful to the cooperation of the NCC.

That is all for now but keep you informed.

Respectfully submitted

Memorial Wall committee

 

July update

We have had our second meeting with NCC and have a scope of work with roles and responsibilities and key milestones identified. The NCC committee have been very helpful with suggestions of names of people that we need for work on the project.

One person that we needed was a Landscape Architect to conceptually place the wall on the site with a statue of Gander (future project), the HSMB plaque and to also include lighting. We have been very fortunate to have Jim Lennox do this work pro bono as he has had a sympathetic interest in the HK history, his father was on the Uganda and his mom nursed many of the HK vets on their return in 1945. He told me it was about time this memorial was done we agree.

We are in the process of finding a structural, civil and geotechnical engineer. They will be determining the foundation and erection specs and the soil info is needed to do this. So this is a priority now as it is necessary for the design process.

The NCC also asked to have a better sample of text and if possible on a sample of the black granite. I have asked one of our MB members to redo the graphics on the wall to accommodate the 3 sections of wall that we decided on to solve some other issues. I also contacted a supplier to do a test of the font on the granite to show the NCC. Good news the black granite price has not increased since last year.

Our contract with NCC is still in the works but hopefully we will have this signed soon.

That is all for now but we will keep you informed.

Respectfully submitted

Memorial Wall committee

 

28 June '08

Now that the site (corner of King Edward and Sussex Dr) has been selected, the Wall committee had a meeting with the NCC where several items of responsibility were determined.  Some of these items we were not aware of a year ago when the budget was prepared.  To date we have met our original estimate of $100,000 but we must continue fundraising to meet these new responsibilities.  We will soon have a contract in place that will outline all aspects of the project so we will be able to determine our new goals.

We will be holding monthly meetings with NCC and communicating through email to expedite this project.  However one of the other items that was mentioned to us, is that we need approvals from a couple of other NCC committees before we can tender for the material.  We are working towards an August or October date for the next approval stage.

Our next meeting with NCC will be July 14, 2008 when hopefully we will have the contract in place.

In our original plan we would like to see a memorial to Gander DC and John Osborn VC at this site but that will be future planning and fundraising will continue for these items.

Thank you for all your efforts and please continue to support the Memorial Wall project

Respectfully submitted
The Memorial Wall comittee

31 May '08

ANNOUNCEMENT – Site selection

The Memorial Wall Committee is pleased to announce that after considerable study they have selected an attractive site in downtown Ottawa for the Memorial Wall. We have chosen a park on the northwest corner of King Edward Street and Sussex Drive, just west of the Rideau River and approx. midway between the Parliament Buildings and the Prime Minister's residence.

We feel that this site will give the Memorial Wall a high profile for the many visitors to our nation's capital while also providing a peaceful and serene setting for viewing by family and friends. The site is readily accessible with parking and shelter across the street.

Work is now underway to draw up an agreement with the National Capital Commission (NCC) that will permit us to build our Memorial Wall on the site. We will keep you appraised of the progress we make in construction as the project progresses.

Respectfully submitted

Memorial Wall Committee.

 

13 May '08

WELL DONE everyone who has donated or worked on soliciting donations!! we are almost there ... with donations exceeding $95,000.  Just a short way to go to reach our goal but if we exceed the goal the money will go to some of the esthetics to enhance the overall appearance and comfort of the visitors with items like lighting, benches, etc.

Due to inclement weather in Ottawa there was some delay in our proposed schedule regarding the site visits however Derrill Henderson and Ron McGuire have been diligent in reviewing the 5 sites that have been offered by the NCC (National Capitol Commission). 

Derrill and Ron compiled a written and photo report for the committee to review prior to an online meeting for questions to be answered.  We have narrowed the choice to 2 sites.  We will be asking NCC for some further information before the final decision will be made which should be very soon.

When the site has been selected we will have to begin the process of requests for proposals to determine the company that will supply and erect the wall. All this will be under the supervision of the NCC and our Committee.

We will keep you posted on our progress.

 

Respectfully submitted
Memorial Wall Committee

 

25 Feb '08

Derrill Henderson had a very successful meeting with NCC on February 12, 2008. To begin, the Wall committee had an online meeting prior to Feb 12 to gather questions/concerns that the committee had. These items were taken to the NCC meeting and most if not all were answered. There are 3 people from NCC who are working with us and are co-operating to achieve a successful completion of this project.

Name change of the wall – this was a concern as we didn’t want to lose the identity of the memorial. The reason for the request was because the Chinese government didn’t allow the 2005 dedicated plaque (Ottawa Convention) to be placed in Hong Kong. It hasn’t been finally decided yet but the plaque may be placed on one of the short outside walls and the HQ unit names may go on the inside of the wall. We will do this on both ends and that will leave an outside wall that will be blank for future development as our main objective is completing the Wall. This will be decided after NCC reviews the drawings but we are preparing this in case it happens. So the name of the wall may be:

“The Canadian Role in the Defence of Hong Kong”

“C” Force Memorial Wall – 1941- 1945

 

Winnipeg Grenadiers

 

There were 5 sites offered for the Wall and before we make a selection, there will be site visits and viewing google maps to see what the advantages are for each site. There are 2 sites that seem to be more acceptable at first glance and once we have more info (from an actual visit by 2 committee members) we should be able to make the decision sometime in March. We will keep everyone informed as the process continues.

We are reviewing our timeline for the project as we will be able to move it up a year at this point and possibly sooner. The drawings will be reviewed by the NCC Project Co-ordinator for any other changes, before new quotations are requested and the material ordered. The NCC will be doing the site preparation and environmental study once the site has been selected.

The Wall Committee had an online meeting on Sunday, Feb 17 to discuss the Feb 12 NCC meeting and to gather any other concerns/questions for the next NCC meeting which will be held on Friday February 29. 2008. The committee has prepared a letter to go with the solicitation packages to show how the HKVCA will show its gratitude and recognize all donations through the following means:

• up to $499, a card of thanks from the Regional and/or the National Treasurers,

• $500 to $999 a letter signed by the President of the HKVCA • $1000 - $2999 a certificate

• $3,000 - $4999 a plaque

• over $5000 a plaque, the Donors corporate logo and link on the HKVCA website, also listed on the dedication brochure, inclusion in any newspaper and other advertising regarding the Memorial Wall dedication.

• any donation of $20.00 or more receives an income tax receipt

31 Jan

January, 2008

Well it is certainly a waiting game!

Since my last update the Wall committee has been progressing with proposals to corporations and foundations, etc. as we await the National Capitol Commission's (NCC) decision on our request for land and accepting our project. The NCC had a meeting on January 16, 2008 however their agenda was so full that they needed to schedule another meeting to deal with the balance of the items. This meeting will be on January 30.

The good news is the many members who are soliciting funds from others and those making donations according to their means. The total as of the end of December is approximately $67,000 so we are 2/3 of the way. This support is very heart-warming and encouraging to the Committee.

In the meantime the Committee has made decisions on recognizing our major donors. We are looking at certificates, suitably framed; plaques similar to the one presented to our designer as recognition to large donors - the newspaper ad and our website, has also discussed, as was having reps of large corporations who may make a significant donation - present for the dedication at their own expense. We will also look at any other suggestions that are made by our members, however we feel these are the usual modes and would be acceptable.

So until January 30, keep your prayers coming – all that positive energy will hopefully bring us a positive answer.

Respectfully

The Memorial Wall Committee – Carol Hadley (Chair), Derrill Henderson, Phil Doddridge, Barry Mitchell, Murray Doull and Ron McGuire.

 

December, 2007

Remembrance Week was very successful as far as national coverage for the Hong Kong Veterans and awareness for the Memorial Wall (thanks to Murray Doull's article) with a good reception however the financial results ended in a deficit. It was worth the effort to have the exposure and we thank Rita Flanagan and Derrill Henderson for making the arrangements.

We have a few more proposals to the corporate world in the works and some promises for review in the New Year so hopefully these will work out. In the meantime our membership has been sending in donations and forwarding suggestions of corporations and foundations to approach. This is wonderful teamwork and greatly appreciated by the Committee.

The National Capitol Commission have had some administration changes of which we were recently informed so they have yet to review our proposal that was submitted in August. We hope that our project will be on their schedule in December when they have their next meeting.

In the meantime if you are doing Christmas cards put in a picture of the Memorial Wall with the information for donations as a suggestion for Christmas giving – it would be appropriate as a reminder of the events 60+ years ago.

Merry Christmas and a Peaceful, Healthy New Year to you all.

Memorial Wall Committee

Nov News

This is based on the latest report from regions and members' donations and one corporate donation with more coming in weekly. We are more than half way...

We are trying to find out when the next NCC meeting will be to get some answers to our many questions and to find out what parameters they will set for us if they undertake our project.

In the meantime we are checking into modes of appreciation for our large donors to have something in place and to ensure uniformity.

There will be an 'ad' on Rogers network during Remembrance Week and pop ups on their website. We have been told from other organizations that have used them that these yield a great response with donations and awareness.

We were asked for some assistance for members in soliciting funds from family and friends. We have put a brochure on the website so people may print and use it for this purpose. However we do not want anyone to solicit funds from businesses/corporations/foundations, etc as our committee has a package of information that will ensure conformity with our requests.  However the names may be submitted to the committee for follow up.

We appreciate the suggestions that are coming to us and the work that the regions are doing to ensure the success of this project.

 

August 2007

At the beginning of August 2007 we submitted a proposal to National Capitol Commission (NCC) however the forms were changed so we had to redo the proposal with the new items that they expect us to have in place. As a result the project grew from $85,000 - $100,000 and we were informed that it takes 2 ½ - 3 years for the project to be completed through NCC processes so the date changed from August 2008 to August 2010 which happens to be the 65^th anniversary of the end of WWII. We wanted an earlier date as we would like to have the remaining HK vets in attendance but thought we could always lobby for one and we needed time to raise funds. We wanted the location near National War Museum but have since been informed that the soil is recycled material therefore not able to support the wall structure. There are other sites available and we have stipulated in the proposal that we have final approval of site selection. With all this done Proposals have been sent to major corporations and agencies for assistance with funding.

At our National Convention in Calgary, we presented the project to our members at the General Meeting but before we were finished, members and regions were making donations and challenges to other groups to match or beat their donation as a result great progress was made during the convention, but your contributions are critical to reaching our goal of $100,000. It was pointed out to me that with our membership of 1000 people, it would be $100 donation per member to reach our goal so we have some work to do.

A question about excess funds was asked and the Committee would like to see something in place at the same site for John Osborn VC & Gander DM but first we need the $100,000.

Memorial Wall Committee: 

Carol Hadley, Chair
Derrill Henderson
Phil Doddridge
Barry Mitchell
Murray Doull
Ron McGuire

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June 29, 2007

From Carol Hadley,

The drawings for the Memorial Wall are completed and have been resubmitted to the 4 suppliers who previously quoted to give them a chance to revise their estimate for our proposal. 

In the meantime the site proposal will be completed to submit to the powers that be in Ottawa and then the fund raising proposals will be prepared to go out to prospective associations to gather funding for the project.  Money from our members has begun to come in but more participants are required.  I believe that we are still on target for our time line and will keep you updated on the progress.

We've received two render images of the wall (see below) with views to give you an image of what the wall will look like completed - it is very exciting to see these images and realize how close we are to reality.

Now that we can see what the wall will actually look like, we hope that our members will be encouraged to throw their support behind this initiative by assisting with fund raising and/or donate. As previously stated, charitable receipts will be issued for donations over $20 and for large donations there will be a special recognition.

Renderings
 

 

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May 24, 2007

From Carol Hadley,

Wall Drawing

The Memorial Wall committee have investigated some changes that were suggested and have come to this conclusion:

- The wall will be too big if the names are in columns (it doubles

the size, therefore the structural integrity is compromised and costs

double)

- The wall will be in the Z design.

- The format for the wall will be to have the name of the wall,

"C" FORCE MEMORIAL WALL 1941 - 1945 with Battle of Hong Kong underneath, then the HK symbol and the unit name with the names in the format of Last name, first name, honours, KIA symbol or death as POW symbol across the face of the stone - see the att't for a very basic description of the format.

Ignore the HK symbol that is in the centre of the stone as shown - this was an old configuration that the designer did and was discarded - also no ranks.

This new info has been sent to the designer this weekend and the committee has asked for a schematic to be used for the fundraising package that is being prepared for submission for govt approval and to various places for donations. Once the new dwgs have been completed we will check with the suppliers to ensure that their quotes are still valid, then proceed from there.

 

April 27, 2007

The Memorial Wall Committee finally agreed on several key items that will determine the size of the wall - that is the format of the names.  We await a revision to the first draft design now that this information has been submitted this week to the designer.  We have three quotes in hand so far but with the revisions it may be necessary to request new ones if the changes impact on the size.

The wall will be a Z shape with the Royal Rifles of Canada on one side and the Winnipeg Grenadiers on the other side of the diagonal and the Headquarter units on the supporting ‘wings’.  It is necessary to have the names on both sides of the wall to maintain a reasonable size and for structural integrity of the wall.  It was initially proposed to have a \_____/ shape to look like a “C” but it gave a front and back to the wall which the Executive didn’t like.

The name of the wall, centered on each side, will be "C" FORCE MEMORIAL WALL 1941 – 1945, with Battle of Hong Kong beneath, then the HK logo - then the name of the unit, ie ROYAL RIFLES OF CANADA and finally the alphabetical list of names (in columns), with the awards and a designation to show if the person was killed in action or died as a prisoner of war.  If the columns take up too much room we may have to change it.  Here is a sample layout of what the wall will look like:

 

"C" FORCE MEMORIAL WALL 1941 – 1945 Battle of Hong Kong ROYAL RIFLES OF CANADA   LAST NAME, First name, award, † if KIA or ‡ if death as a POW.

 

We are still within the parameters of our timeline for the project but the next determining factor will be the money. The Fundraising Committee want the final design included in their proposal to give the best impact to their request for funding that will go to government and other different agencies.  However members have begun to make donations through the initial information that was placed on our website and other outside donations through discussions with committee members. 

We sincerely hope that all our members will support this project to ensure a lasting memorial to the Hong Kong veterans and in appreciation for the sacrifices that were made for our rights and freedoms.