Parks

The park has a long historical connection with the military. It was used as a training ground for the local militia; a parade ground for thousands of soldiers stationed here during the Fenian raids of 1866; a marshaling ground for troops; a gathering place for troops before being sent off to war; a place for citizens to hold services to pray for the safe return of their family members; a place to celebrate when the soldiers first returned home from war; and a place to honour all those who served and sacrificed.

In October 1998, following a proposal by Mayor Mike Bradley, Sarnia City Council passed a motion endorsing that Victoria Park would be renamed Veterans Park, to reflect the history of the park and as a way to honour those who served. On Remembrance Day 1998, the park officially became known as Veterans Park. 

In late 2015, a committee of volunteers led by Lou Giancarlo and Tom Slater, brought forward the idea of creating a storyboard in Veterans Park. With support of Sarnia 1st Hussars Association and the City of Sarnia, the committee along with sign-maker Ken Hall, designed a storyboard that was installed in late October 2016. The storyboard provides a brief history of the park itself, and information on all of the military artifacts in the park. Along the bottom portion of the storyboard are eight photographs representing the wars commemorated on the memorials to the fallen in Veterans Park–the Boer War, First World War, Second World War (Army, Navy and Air Force), Korea War and Afghanistan.

In August 2018, a new Veterans Park sign was added to the Park. It was created by Dave Beatty and paid for by Communities in Bloom Committee.

This park is named in honour of those who fought at the Battle of Paardeberg in the South African War.

RCAF Memorial Park opened in 1968, and pays tribute to Renfrew airmen who were killed in the Second World War. Its memorial stands in the middle of the park near the river and consists of a flagpole and a concrete cairn resting on a cement support. Nearby is a tree commemorating the 60th anniversary of Renfrew's Royal Air Force Association.

Janusz Zurakowski was one of the world's most famous pilots. He was a Polish Canadian who has been at the forefront of cutting edge aviation technology. Raised in Poland, he joined the Polish Air Force in 1934 and during the Second World War escaped to England in 1940. After a brilliant wartime career he test flew aircraft in England and Canada, to where he immigrated in 1952. The most notable aircraft he tested was the Canadian supersonic interceptor known as the CF-105 Avro Arrow.

The memorial features a statue of Janusz, a replica CF-105 Avro Arrow, a Spitfire weathervane, and several storyboards which explain Janusz's story and that of the Arrow. The park opened on July 26, 2003, shortly before he passed away in 2004.

In the summer of 2011, a 1/5 scaled down version of the Spitfire was added to the park. It is the same plane that Janusz flew during the Battle of Britain. The plane was built by Morris Towns from Madawaska and took more than 1,500 hours of labour to complete. When erected on its pole at the park, it moves on ball bearings like a wind sock. Because the plane was not constructed to withstand northern Canadian winters, it is stored for the cold months.

Memorial Cenotaph Park is located on the corner of Pembroke Street East and Mackay Street, beside Pembroke's City Hall. Memorial Cenotaph Park is Pembroke's war memorial to all Canadian service men and women who have served and died in WWI, WWII, The Korean War and more recent battles in which the Canadian military has been engaged. Annual Remembrance Day services conducted by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #72 are held every November 11th at 11:00 A.M.

Also see: Memorial Number: 35070-026

This park was dedicated to all Veterans on June 3, 2000, by the Village of Cobden.

The Cobden Veterans Memorial and 427 Squadron Memorial Cenotaph are located in the park.

The original cenotaph located at this park was erected in 1932. In 2001, the Belleville Veterans Council and the City of Belleville replaced this cenotaph, relocated the Thurlow War Memorial here and refurbished Memorial Park.

In 1922, M.S. Chapman, William Gormley and J.R. Thexton of the Pickering Village Chamber of Commerce, purchased four and 3/8 acres of land from Thomas Walsh for $1,800 to use for a park. The citizens of Pickering Township donated money for its purchase in honour of the men who fought and died in the First World War.

Shortly after the park was purchased, the Memorial Park Gates and Cenotaph were erected. 

The Ashburnham Women's Patriotic League bought Armour hill in 1923 as a park to be dedicated to the fallen of the First World War. Over the next few years, the league purchased saplings to be planted and commissioned the construction of a new road, now known as Museum Drive. 

In 1937, the League donated the land to the City of Peterborough as Ashburnham Memorial Park and in June of 1959, a memorial cairn and plaque were unveiled.

In 1927, Mrs. Kathleen Davidson, a wealthy Toronto hotel owner, purchased a lot for a memorial park in memory of Lieutenant Walter T. Robus (Tommie). This lot had an abandoned house that was demolished and replaced by two stone cairns with lights and plaques. The park was dedicated on August 15, 1927.

Tommie Robus was born to Henry Hunt Robus and Annie Louise Germain in Shoreditch, London, England on August 15, 18942. At the age of 17, he immigrated to Canada on February 25, 1911 and became a farm labourer in Norwood. Tommie had enlisted in Norwood on August 15, 1914, and had a successful military career in the First World War before being employed by Mrs. Davidson in the years prior to his death. While working at the hotel, Tommie told stories of the war to Kathleen and her daughter Shon. Kathleen was impressed and considered him a friend as well as an employee.

During the First World War, Tommie was at both the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and the Battle of St Julien. He was a member of the 1st  Brigade bomb throwers and also worked with the 10th Battalion. By June 7, he received a promotion to Corporal. On June 9, 1915, Tommie was wounded on the front at Festubert and Givenchy. He received a potato masher bomb in the jaw that cracked the jawbone, cut his mouth and broke teeth on one side. He spent about six weeks recuperating at the No. 2 Canadian General Hospital at Le Treport.

He was promoted to Lance Sergeant on November 15, 1915. Tommie's second injury occurred on January 1, 1916 at Wulverghem, Belgium when he received two gunshot wounds to his right thigh.  He returned to the French front on April 19, 1917. On June 2 at the Battle of Sorrel in Ypres, Tommie was again injured. He received shrapnel in his right shoulder and was on his back for about two weeks. Tommie was only deemed fit to return to France on November 8, 1917. He was promoted to Lieutenant on January 26, 1918, but did not return to the front until June 8 when he was part of the 2nd Canadian Battalion, 1st Canadian Brigade.

After participating in the Battle of Amiens he was injured near Arras. This time the injury was to his chest and again he was dangerously ill. After treatment, he was discharged on October 21.

On July 26, 1927, the Council in Norwood agreed to placing two plaques on the cobblestone cairns at the park entrance and to care for the memorial park.