Morinville’s LAV III monument should roll out later this year now that the provincial government has given it a $125,000 boost.
The Rotary Club of Morinville announced Feb. 8 it had received a $125,000 Community Facility Enhancement Program grant from the province to support its LAV III Monument project.
Back in 2015, Morinville resident and retired soldier Jayson Wood proposed that the town work with the charity Canada Company to place a decommissioned LAV III light armoured vehicle in town as a military monument. That effort stalled in 2016 due to ballooning costs but restarted two years later after the local Rotary Club agreed to lead fundraising efforts. The Town of Morinville, Sturgeon County, the Morinville Legion, and many local companies and residents have since committed hundreds of thousands of dollars toward the project.
Rotary Club LAV III committee chair Gord Putnam said the club is super excited by this latest grant as it means they now have the full $400,000 they need to build the monument.
“The project can now go ahead. It’s fully funded.”
Putnam said the monument will feature the LAV III itself, which is currently in storage at the Edmonton Garrison, seated atop a concrete base surrounded by trees, benches, and hopefully bilingual information panels on Canada’s military. The monument will recognize the contributions of the region’s many military members and families and honour the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers past, present, and future.
Putnam said the monument will be completed this June or this fall, depending on the weather, with construction to start this spring. Rotary will continue to collect donations for the monument’s upkeep.
Putnam said this is the last LAV III monument planned by Canada Company for Alberta. Airdrie, Calgary, Fort McMurray, and Lacombe have similar monuments.
Morinville Mayor Simon Boersma said it was awesome to hear that the monument is going ahead, adding it will be a great economic and tourism driver for the region.
Visit morinvillelav.com for details on the project.
