The transformation of the Community Cenotaph Park, downtown on 5th Ave., is starting to take shape in preparation for the Oct. 26 unveiling.

Last Friday, Terry Norman, of OnGrowing Works, was onsite with Gord Leaf and Jeff Sieben, of Sunset Memorial and Stone, to slide into place the final piece of custom cut granite that will support the  the new bronze. This week, the two flag poles will be installed.

The attention paid to detail is evident in the design of the cenotaph from the colour matching of the granite to the shading on the sides of concrete largely hidden at the back. Even the two freshly poured concrete pads on either side of the cenotaph for the flag poles have been shaded to tie the entire package together.

The granite piece is 2,500 lbs. and came from a southern Quebec granite operation, the only place an exact colour match could be found.

Above that will be a four-inch base and then the 70-inch bronze of a First World War soldier in a memorial pose being created by the Studio West Bronze Foundry of Cochrane. That extra lift will enhance the presence of the bronze.

"We wanted to make sure wherever you're standing you can see the feet of the soldier," explains Norman.

 The finishing touches to improve the overall look of the park will take place next year.

"The idea is to be more handicap accessible and more public friendly," explains Norman. "We took the fence down and we want it to be more of a public park."

They'll be new and wider stone walkways, imprinted with poppies and other war memorial images, benches, low-level corner fencing and information signage. It will be more welcoming for people to use on a regular basis.

"People just having their ice cream or sitting down having lunch or a snack can read the signs and then learn all about War World One and Two and Cochrane's connection to it and learn about why this thing is here."

More information on the second phase will be on display at the cenotaph unveiling Oct. 26.