Work is underway on the much-needed refurbishment of the Victims of Chemical Valley memorial at Sarnia's Centennial Park.
Local trade and labour groups have stepped up to assist with the project, contributing their skills and time to restore the memorial to its former prominence.
The city is thanking LiUNA Local 1089 and Lambton Metal Service for donating their time and support. The memorial’s statue, originally created by Artist Shawn McKnight, has been removed and will be refurbished offsite.
After that, they'll work to implement the vision of the Victims of Chemical Valley Memorial stakeholder group.
Sarnia & District Labour Council President Nick Dochstader said he looks forward to having the annual ceremony for the National Day of Mourning, on April 28, held back at Centennial Park where it was intended.
"These are primarily ladies in our community that have lost their loved ones to workplace illness or injury," said Dochstader. "It's a place where folks can go and reflect on those that they've lost. It's just a nice place that can bring the community together. Folks can meet down there and share their experiences near the waterfront."
Dochstader said it's extremely important to honour those who have lost their lives while on the job.
He's hoping to see the project completed before the snow flies.
"This project has been in the works for some time now, and it's gone through a number of iterations," he said. "It's a more toned down version of what was originally presented to Sarnia Council. It's probably a bit easier for the community to stomach the cost for it. We'll be happy with the result."
The city said several local companies and unions have expressed interest in assisting with the next steps on the project.
The $150,000 initiative includes a new stone ground surface, alongside lighting, benches, new stone carvings, a drum circle area, storyboards and new plantings.
The original designs were fine tuned to mitigate the risks of soil conditions at the site.
