Charles Hoey V.C. Memorial Park

Major Charles Hoey Victory Cross Memorial Park, British Columbia was constructed in 1921 in memory of all those who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars and Korean War. This monument is the venue for services commemorating the "Battle of the Atlantic", the "Burma Campaign", the "Battle of Britain" and Remembrance Day, November 11. The memorial takes the form of a plain cross. Unveiled on Armistice Day in 1921, it was financed by public subscription and maintained by the City of Duncan. Of the 1066 people from the Cowichan River Valley who joined the Armed Forces in World War I, close to 170 people gave their lives during the war or died because of war-related causes. World War II added seventy-plus names to the list. After World War I, the residents of Duncan joined thousands of Canadian communities who built War memorials. Many people mistakenly believe these memorials glorify war and martial values. They were, rather, an attempt to make some sense, on emotional and spiritual levels, of the death of so many friends, loved ones and comrades.