'It's a day of pride': New military monument unveiled in Morinville
The 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron flew over Morinville Sunday as a new monument was unveiled in honour of contributions made by the Canadian military.
The LAV III monument will be the first of its kind in the Edmonton area – and the last of its kind in Alberta.
Originally named the Kodiak, the LAV III is a third-generation light armoured vehicle, which was instrumental in Canadian military operations in Afghanistan.
The monument is made of a decommissioned LAV III hull. It is the last one to be installed in Alberta through the Canada Company LAV III Monument Program, which has ended.
"Today is the culmination of years of hard work," said Gordon Putnam, chairman of the Rotary LAV committee. "I couldn't be happier for the region."
Putnam said the idea was pitched in 2015 by a local military member. It was officially unveiled Sunday as part of the Rotary Club of Morinville's 25th anniversary.
A ceremony was held at 1 p.m. at the site beside the Morinville Leisure Centre, near Highway 642, and the 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron performed a flypast.
Putnam said the installation is meaningful because Morinville and Sturgeon County have around a 30 per cent population of military members.
"To be able to provide a monument to them and a dedication and tribute is really, it's a day of pride," Putnam said.
"I'm so proud of all the work that's gone in, but also I'm just proud that we have something where we can pay tribute to our Canadian military."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
NEW 'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Canadian couple among tourists on sinking sailing boat tour abroad
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their “extremely dangerous” experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
An Ontario senior called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Accused of burglary at stepmother's home, U.S. senator says she wanted her father's ashes: charges
A Minnesota state senator and former broadcast meteorologist told police that she broke into her stepmother's home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her late father, including his ashes, according to burglary charges filed Tuesday.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.