Let us thoughtfully remember the atrocities of war and the sacrifices of our veterans and fallen.

Petition to Stop the Installation of a Second Military Armoured Vehicle in Memorial Park in Sackville NB

We the undersigned urge Sackville Town Council to halt the installation of a donated, retired “AVGP Cougar” military armoured vehicle in the Sackville Memorial Park and proceed with a community consultation process.

More than twice the size of the armoured vehicle already installed in Memorial Park, the late 70s Cougar was slated to be installed two weeks from now. The process to approve the installation did not involve an open consultation with the community. Citizens - including some veterans - have since raised several concerns and will be presenting their perspectives to town council on July 2, 2019. The council will then decide whether to hold a vote on the matter.

Many in our community are descendants of WWI and WWII veterans - or are veterans ourselves - who believe in the considered installation of remembrance memorials that recognize the genuine sacrifices made by Canadian service people while providing a space to reflect on our part in building peace. Still others are survivors of war or conflicts with first-hand experience of the debilitating impact of violence. We recognize our utmost privilege in living in a peaceful community where we can debate these issues without fear for ourselves or our families. We hold the utmost respect for those with differing opinions and believe in the principle that we as a community are more alike than we are different.

Reasons to Oppose the New Vehicle: 
- Rather than memorializing the atrocities of war, it glorifies war's violence.
- The 8th Canadian Hussars were notably active primarily during and prior to the Second World War. The "AVGP Cougar" was in service from 1976 until 2005. This machine of modern warfare has little to do with the 55 members of the 8th Hussars who lost their lives fighting fascism in Italy during the Second World War. Let's come up with a more accurate way of honouring this contribution.
- As a symbol of military violence in a park where families frequent, this sends the wrong message to our children.
- An extremely unsafe playground fixture: whether intended or not, the new installation, like the other armoured vehicle in the park, will be played on by children.
- The installation will take away from the available green space in the park which deserves to be protected - it will sit on top of a 4m by 8m concrete slab.
- The Cougars, used in conflicts around the world from the late 70s to recently, could be triggering for those suffering from war-induced traumas such as refugees and veterans.
- The Cougar was not used in WWI and WWII but was used in our own country against the Mohawk people in Oka (1990).
- The Memorial Park already holds one relic to represent each branch of the military (an anchor from the Navy, a propeller from the Air Force, and the small armoured vehicle "Ferret" from the Army), and we fly the historic flags for each branch. Therefore it seems an unnecessary addition.

If you want to participate beyond signing the petition, you can write to Sackville's councillors to share your opposition. It will only take a second: s.mesheau@sackville.com
m.tower@sackville.com,
b.phinney@sackville.com,
j.oneil@sackville.com,
b.evans@sackville.com,
a.butcher@sackville.com,
a.black@sackville.com,
r.aiken@sackville.com,
j.higham@sackville.com

Some more background information:

• According to the proposal, as reported by the Sackville Tribune Post, the installation's stated message and purpose is as "a monument that will serve as a tribute to the fallen members of the 8th Canadian Hussars from the local area."
• The armoured vehicle comes to us from Sussex, where the 8th Canadian Hussars maintain an already-established museum of military equipment.
• The singular implementation of the Cougar, specifically, by the 8th Canadian Hussars, was not in war or overseas - it was in support of the Armed Forces in quashing the land dispute between the Mohawk people and the town of Oka during the Oka Crisis in Quebec in 1990. 
  Consider in light of this the message sent by installing this armoured vehicle as a monument on what we know and refer to as unceded ancestral indigenous land.

Remembering and honouring service people is valuable, but context matters and empathy is important.

Proposal from the 8th Canadian Hussars​

https:/www.sackvilletribunepost.com/news/local/8th-canadian-hussars-donates-retired-armoured-military-vehicle-to-sackville-284725/

https://warktimes.com/2019/02/08/canadian-regiment-seeks-to-donate-armoured-military-vehicle-to-sackville-memorial-park/​

http://www.8chassociation.com/regiment.html