Forgotten soldier’s name added to Almonte, Ont. cenotaph thanks to Grade 6 class
It has taken more than 100 years, but Almonte’s forgotten soldier George B. Monterville has had his name etched back into history.
- Sign up now for our daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
Monterville’s name was added to the Almonte cenotaph Saturday in a re-dedication ceremony, after months of campaigning from local students.
"The injustice of not hearing George's name every year for the past 101 years has been righted and that will carry on forever now," said MWO. Michael Wiggins, the Almonte Legion Parade Marshall.
Almonte native Private George Monterville died at home in 1920 following injuries sustained in the First World War. It was a few years later that the Almonte cenotaph was built, but Monterville’s name was left off.
It was Wiggings who made the discovery in 2023 that Monterville’s name was left off the cenotaph. That’s when he approached a Grade 6 class at R. Tait McKenzie Public School to take on a real-life learning project about Monterville.
"They did a tremendous job in advocating for George's name to finally, after over 100 years, be etched on the cenotaph amongst the names of his comrades," said Jean Grant-Kearney, the class's teacher
Her class spent most of the school year researching, writing letters and making presentations advocating for Monterville’s recognition.
"I have almost no words for how happy I am," said student Maya Brown, who read a poem at the re-dedication ceremony.
"It's incredible how his name will be there forever. And it's not going to go away, and we did that. When we walk past, we can be like, we did that and we made a difference in the world."
In attendance Saturday was David Elliot, who is one of the few remaining descendants of Monterville. Monterville was the uncle of Elliot’s mother.
"It makes me extremely proud, extremely," Elliot told CTV News.
Elliot admits he did not know much about his great-uncle’s situation, and was interested when approached about the history by Wiggins.
"I felt very pleased that the town and the Legion were in a situation where they were willing to rectify this."
Now this November 11, and every Remembrance Day in the future, Monterville’s name will be read aloud along with all the others from Almonte who gave their lives for Canada.
"He fought and he risked his life for our futures, and we could not let him be forgotten,” said Brown.
"Truthfully, I thank all the kids,” said Elliot. “Because of Mr. Wiggins and the children, this has happened."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Biden calls the Israeli strike killing Hezbollah's Nasrallah a 'measure of justice'
U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called the Israeli strike that killed Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah a 'measure of justice' for his four-decade reign of terror.
LGBTQ2S+ minister Pascale St-Onge to make history with parental leave
Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge is set to make history by becoming the first openly lesbian cabinet minister to take parental leave when her wife gives birth in the coming weeks.
'I want to leave but I'm scared': Calgarian and her kids stuck in Lebanon as conflict rages on
Safaa went to Lebanon looking to meet with a specialist for her Crohn's disease. Now, she and her four children are caught in the conflict between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah.
'Imagine a world without their song': Toronto photographer wins international award for picture of 4,000 dead birds
Thousands of dead birds, from kingfishers to blue jays, encircle a wild turkey to illustrate in one snapshot a mere fragment of how many die from colliding into glass windows – a death that can be easily prevented, the Torontonian photographer says.
What is open and closed this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
This Monday, Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR), a federal statutory holiday and day of remembrance for the Indigenous children who never came home from Canadian residential schools, as well as those who survived them.
At least 52 dead and millions without power after Helene's deadly march across southeastern U.S.
Hurricane Helene caused at least 52 deaths and billions of dollars of destruction across a wide swath of the southeastern U.S. as it raced through, and more than three million customers went into the weekend without any power and for some a continued threat of floods.
Hezbollah confirms its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike
Lebanon's Hezbollah group confirmed on Saturday that its leader and one of its founders, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut the previous day
Police swarm home after man allegedly confronts snowmobile owner with crossbow
Several heavily armed officers descended on a home in the southeast area of Barrie Thursday afternoon after reports of a man armed with a crossbow.
Scientists discover hidden ancient forest on treeless island
Trees haven't grown on the Falkland Islands for thousands of years. But tree trunks and branches preserved in peat suggest the islands were once home to a forest.