Legion to dedicate memorial cannon Saturday

By Ken Johnston
Editor

While the community is gearing up for the revival of Rainy River Railroad Daze another special event has been planned for this weekend; the dedication of a C1 Howitzer, 105 mm (25 lbs. shell) cannon at the Rainy River Legion.
The decommissioned general artillery gun is being dedicated after the parade this Saturday in memory of all veterans and has become a part of the Royal Canadian Legion, Major Hughes Branch 54 Cenotaph square.
The retired military weapon was acquired through the efforts of Legion members Lance Lindal and Gerry Marchuk and with the help of Thunder Bay-Rainy River Member of Parliament Ken Boshcoff.
In 2005 Lindal and Marchuk began efforts to acquire a decommissioned tank. When they discovered that would not be possible they tried to get a machine gun and that too did not work out. Enlisting the help of M.P. Boshcoff they were able to get approval for the Howitzer.
Once approved the artillery was shipped from its base in Montreal, Quebec to the United States where it was decommissioned. That took about 6-8 months and last July 20th it arrived in Rainy River.
Nearly a year to that day, the Legion is going to hold an official dedication ceremony.
President Gerry Marchuk said that once the parade is over people, including dignitaries from the Fort Frances Legion, Baudette Legion, local Sea Cadets, possible some Air Cadets from Atikokan and hopefully M.P. Boshcoff as well as local veterans and RR Legion members and the public will make their way with a pipe band playing over to the cenotaph and cannon. Marchuk will read out the dedication, which will eventually be placed at the gun site in the form of a bronze plaque. A moment of silence will be observed in honour of fallen vets.
Afterwards a private lunch will be held for the dignitaries.
Eventually the Legion plans to pour a cement pad under the memorial howitzer and elevate it so that the wheels are off the ground.