Rue, Britannia, rue

By EARL MCRAE

If you, the "residents" of Whitehaven and Britannia Heights, cared enough 11 years ago about our fallen soldiers in World War Two to put up a bronze plaque honouring them, why do you dishonour them now?

You live in two of the nicest neighbourhoods in the city, stylish homes and gardens, many of you retired senior citizens who would have an emotional connection with that war, and when you, the "residents" of Whitehaven and Britannia Heights arranged for the plaque, it was a wonderful thing to do for those who fought and lost their lives for our freedom, and you had every right to be proud of that plaque, just as now you have every right to be ashamed over your indifference.

But are you ashamed?

If you were, you'd have done something about this plaque ages ago.

You had it put up, it is your responsibility to make sure its appearance is one our dead soldiers, and all soldiers, and all Ottawans, and all Canadians would feel honour in looking at -- not disgust.


No, it's not the National War Memorial. No, it was not some drunken bonehead urinating on the National War Memorial. But significance is not always relative to size and grandeur.

Not when we are honouring the bravest of our Canadian flesh and blood who went to war for us and wanted to come home when it was over, their remains lying beneath white gravestones in grasses of green of faraway lands across the sea.

This plaque that you the "residents" of Whitehaven and Britannia Heights had erected on the grillwork of the pedestrian bridge over the transitway just south of Carling Ave. and connecting your neighbourhoods, is one that I first noticed in April, the bridge being on my new running route.

APPALLED

I stopped to look at it -- I was appalled.

Not at the inscription you put on it in English and French: In recognition of those who gave their lives to the nation in the Second World War. This corridor forms part of the living memorial envisaged by Jacques Greber in his 'Plan For A National Capital.' Dedicated by the residents of Whitehaven Britannia Heights. Nov. 1995.

No, the inscription was fine. It was the graffiti that sickened me. The graffiti that you have not removed, the graffiti that was still there yesterday when I crossed the bridge, the graffiti that for all I know has been there for God knows how long.

The graffiti and smart-alec stickers, painted and smeared around the borders of your bronze plaque to our war dead that is not really a bronze plaque anymore because the elements have turned the words greenish and faded and you've done nothing to correct this.

No, you are not responsible for the desecration.

Unthinking, insensitive, immature, yobs are responsible, maybe even the same ones who have tarnished the west wall of Woodroffe High School with graffiti, and school signs including the one with the words Code Of Conduct: No foul language, no alcohol, no vehicles, no loitering.

But, it is your plaque, it is your dedication, it is your neighbourhood names you proudly had inscribed. Yes, it's despicable that your plaque should be blighted in this way by others. But, sadly, it happens in our society.

If you are going to have your plaque displayed then deal with the unfortunate consequences. Don't tell me that you, some of you or many of you -- you the "residents" of Whitehaven and Britannia Heights --haven't crossed this bridge, haven't seen what has been done to your plaque.

If you care enough (and I don't know if you really do) then clean this plaque up. Take it down and restore it to its original bronze glow. Place an acrylic see-through cover over it. It might not deter the graffiti imbeciles, but there are special solvents that will remove graffiti.

MAINTAIN THE BEAUTY

Maintain the beauty of this plaque yourselves, or if you won't, if you want to pass the buck to the politicians saying it's their job, then you get them to do it.

And if you, and nobody else, will, then please:

End this shame to your name.

End this shame to our fallen soldiers.

Somebody remove this sorry-looking plaque once and for all, get rid of it.