Treading precariously on the edge of one of Sault Ste. Marie's most inviolable unspoken rules, two city councillors dared Monday night to suggest possible decommissioning of the Memorial Tower. Council voted to allocate $1.
5 million from a reserve fund to complete repairs needed to prevent deteriorating and delaminated concrete from falling from the 20-metre-high downtown landmark. But before that, Ward 3 Coun. Angela Caputo moved, and Ward 2's Lisa Vezeau-Allen seconded, a motion aimed at getting city staff to explore other options including decommissioning the grande dame of Queen Street.
The 75-year-old Memorial Tower has a special place in the hearts of Saultites and the Caputo/Vezeau-Allen suggestion found little support among other councillors. The tower was originally part of Sault Memorial Gardens, which was demolished in 2006. For decades, its red beacon drew Soo Greyhounds fans to the arena during every home game.
"The focal point of the Gardens is the main entrance and circular tower," wrote Heather Ingram in her 1995 book Views of the Sault . "In the tower cupola is a lantern which is lit during important events, such as Canada Day celebrations. At one time, this beacon was never extinguished, but it was later thought to disrupt ship navigation," Ingram wrote.
"Many hockey arenas built in Canada after World War II commemorated those who died in the war; however, the Sault Memorial Gardens was unusual in that it incorporated a Memorial Tower enshrining the names of the fallen of the World Wars and Korean War," says a 2000 booklet on local heritage properties prepared by the Sault Ste. Marie Municipal Heritage Committee. "A lamp cupola, whose light is a reminder of the eternal flame that marks the resting place of the Unknown Soldier, caps the tower.
The Sault Ste. Marie Memorial Tower, now designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, was preserved in recognition of the sacrifices of the fallen and as a reminder that the Sault Memorial Gardens was, for fifty years, the community’s main entertainment venue and its hockey home," the booklet says. "I would be interested in finding out what other options we have, aside from spending this one-and-a-half million dollars if we decided not to go ahead with it," Coun.
Caputo told Monday night's council meeting. "I'd like to hear more, maybe from the Legion and respectfully, I would love to know a cost if we decided not to go ahead with it, what it would take, what it would cost if it had to come down." "I'm hoping to propose that we can at least put this off until we've explored every avenue, till we have some some more information while working with the Legion to get a cost on demolition and any other alternative routes," Caputo said.
Mayor Shoemaker and other councillors responded with strong opposition to Caputo's willingness to consider demolishing the tower. "The only reason that we are afforded the luxury of sitting here today to even debate this is the fact that thousands of individuals gave their lives for us to be here today," said Ward 1 Coun. Sonny Spina in an impassioned speech.
"I don't want that fact to be lost in the shuffle of us talking about spending money here, or whether or not we're going to do it to repair a tower." "Reading from the heritage designation, the Memorial Tower of the Gardens is a unique alternative to the more traditional means of recognizing fallen veterans of world wars." "As such, is not just a structure of concrete and glass, but it is an icon.
It is an image, a symbol of the sacrifices made by local men and women in service of their country and in service of the world. I don't want us to lose that today." "I agree with the assessment of the individuals from the Legion that this is a standalone project that does not marry up with other projects to commemorate war veterans in our community.
I am not in favour of any conversation to decommission this tower," Spina said. "I'm not going to be the mayor sitting here that oversees its demolition, that's for sure," Shoemaker said. "If we were going to ever decommission a monument that's erected in honour of veterans, it would have been done when we demolished the Memorial Gardens.
" "It was deemed so important to the community...
that it was maintained and there was engineering work put in to make it a standalone structure that existed apart from the Memorial Gardens after it was demolished." "It was decided at the time that this will remain and I think there is no decision for us but to maintain the tower. I wouldn't support any other decision," the mayor said.
Coun. Vezeau-Allen said she meant no disrespect to veterans by seconding Caputo's motion. "Two of my aunts and four of my uncles served in the Second World War, my other uncle in the Korean War, and I certainly grew up with with that and respecting them very much," she said "I don't think that has anything to do with it.
I think it has to do with ensuring that we're doing our due diligence, with looking at all the options available for a project of this magnitude." The motion to consider decommissioning the Memorial Tower failed with only Caputo, Vezeau-Allen and Ward 2's Luke Dufour supporting it..
