'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
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
NEW Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.