The City of Kingston Veterans Memorial Garden & Cenotaph Sub-Committee erected the memorial garden. City of Kingston worked with veterans and the military community to complete the Veterans Memorial Garden. The total cost of the renovation is about $9 million, with the water park getting a $6 million overhaul and the memorial garden costing another $1.5 million. In addition, the interior of the Memorial Centre will be receiving small upgrades to dressing and meeting rooms and new benches will be added to accommodate the Church Athletic League.
The Veteran's Memorial Garden is beautiful space commemorating sacrifice- a sacred space and park for reflection so we will never forget those lost in service to our country.
Memorial Centre Linear Park, whose name was developed from the style of the circular pathway that surrounds the perimeter of the park, is meant to provide a circular motion throughout the space, and features new benches, park lighting, and the addition of about 200 new trees. Also on the grounds is a completely fenced in dog park. It's a wide-open space that is very rare in the city and it's easily accessible. The baseball diamonds were upgraded, and new benches were added that allow the user to sit and enjoy the space.
The Memorial Centre, and Veterans Memorial Garden are dedicated to the men and women who called the Kingston area home through birth, residence or work, and who:
- died in service in the First or Second World Wars and are commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) or by the Canadian Virtual War Memorial (CVWM) or in the Ottawa Books of Remembrance
- died in service in the South African War, the Korean conflict, or the Middle East missions and are commemorated by the Canadian Virtual War Memorial (CVWM) or in the Ottawa Books of Remembrance
- died in service and are commemorated by their own countries
- were civilians who died in war-related activities during the First or Second World Wars.
