Hay River (July 07/03) - A monument to honour aboriginal war veterans is being proposed for Hay River.

The idea comes from the NWT/Yukon branch of the National Aboriginal Veterans Association (NAVA).

Lila Whelan, the NWT/Yukon representative of the National Aboriginal Veterans Association, holds a plaque she recently received in Ottawa. She would like it displayed in Hay River, either on an existing monument at the Legion or on a proposed monument for aboriginal veterans. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

"It will be the only one in both territories," says Hay River's Lila Whelan, the NWT/Yukon representative of NAVA.

A monument would be a way of remembering the service of aboriginal soldiers, she adds. "It would be a reminder it really happened and they shouldn't be forgotten."

Whelan was in Ottawa recently for a wreath-laying ceremony at the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument. While at the ceremony on National Aboriginal Day, June 21, she was presented with a plaque, featuring various aspects of the national monument. Such plaques were presented to each province and territory.

Whelan would like a Hay River monument on which to display the plaque.

Her husband, Dean Landry, has drawn up ambitious plans for a monument, which would be nearly six metres high and containing two life-sized statues on top. The figures would be Whelan's late father Arsene Hector Gullion, a veteran of the Second World War and the Korean Conflict, and famed native warrior Chief Poundmaker.

Landry is cautious about whether the cement and stone monument will ever be built, although he says he could do the work for a reasonable price. "Everyone has to be in agreement with it."

The life-sized figures would be based on a painting by Landry. "Whatever I can draw, I can put onto any kind of material."

Whelan has discussed the monument idea with Branch 250 of the Royal Canadian Legion, along with the possibility that the Legion could install the plaque on its existing monument or display it inside its building.

"It's still up for discussion," she says.

Along with the plaque, a new monument would also be engraved with the poem 'I Gave All', a tribute to aboriginal veterans by Raymond Whelan Sr. of Hay River.

Legion branch president Leonard Morin says he has talked with Whelan about the idea for a new monument.

"The Legion as a whole believes honouring veterans should recognize aboriginals and other wartime and peacekeeping veterans," he says.

Morin says the question is whether the plaque should be placed on the existing monument or the proposed new one.

There is also a question of whether there is enough space on Legion property for a large new monument, he says. "We'd have to explore that further."

However, Morin says he is not sure a new monument would be possible, given the space limitations.