Legacy Project Update
June 12, 2019
As you may or may not be aware, CIF-NL and RPFNL recently entered into an agreement with the Forget-Me-Not Campaign to help create a legacy project.
The Forget-Me-Not Campaign volunteer group has raised money for several projects in and around the Corner Brook area, most notably the erecting of the Danger Tree sculpture at Grenfell Campus. The sculpture signifies a petrified, solitary tree that still stands at Beaumont Hamel, where so many Newfoundlanders were killed in 1916. The original unveiling took place in 2016, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War.
This summer the group plans to unveil the second installment at the site, a sculpture of First World War Soldier, Pts. Hugh McWhirter. At this ceremony, the forestry sector will be unveiling a commemorative bronze bench to complement the site. The bench recognizes the sacrifices of the Newfoundland Forestry Corps (WWI) and the Newfoundland Overseas Forestry Unit (WWII).
During WWI, the Newfoundland Forestry Corp was a non-combatant unit that supported the war effort. Some 498 skilled lumber men from Newfoundland served in the forests in the UK. In WWII 3,600 Newfoundlanders were again sent overseas in a non-combative role. These volunteers formed the Newfoundland Overseas Forestry Unit & helped supply timber products critical to British mining operations.
The bench has been sponsored by:
- The Association of Registered Professional Foresters of Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Canadian Institute of Forestry – Newfoundland and Labrador Section
- Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Limited
- Department of Fisheries and Land Resources
We strongly encourage all members to attend this event on July 19, 2019.
