My article last issue on the plaques of Leaside contained a significant omission – the plaque dedicated to the memory of the 17 servicemen from Leaside who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II. This plaque is located at Leaside Gardens at the end of the front wall, to the left of the main entrance, adjacent to the flag staff.
As Ray White described in his 2018 Leaside Life article, the original Leaside Gardens was completed in 1951, just six years after the end of World War II, and the facility was named The Leaside Memorial Community Gardens in the servicemen’s honour. The stainless-steel plaque featuring the 17 names inscribed on it was affixed to the wall in the lobby area of the original facility’s banquet room, past the main entrance and over to the viewing area of the facility as we now know it.
With the expansion of the facility and the construction of the new Dr. Tom Pashby rink, the plaque had to be removed and relocated. On Nov. 8, 2013, 50 years after the original dedication (and 100 years after the incorporation of the Town of Leaside), the combined facility was dedicated, and the restored plaque was unveiled.
