Saint John REALTORS® restored former glory to a war memorial park last month by donating three new flags to fly on empty poles.
Jervis Bay-Ross Memorial Park honours New Brunswick war veterans lost in the First World War, Second World War, and the Korean War. Last spring, members of the Saint John Real Estate Board hosted a REALTORS Care® event there, cleaning the park and planting 75 trees.
“The park looked great, but the empty flag poles were the missing piece,” said Saint John Real Estate Board President Jason Stephen. “To us, replacing those flags meant protecting the dignity of the war veterans and providing a lasting memorial.”
The Board sent a repairperson out to fix the poles and to replace their aging hardware, and then purchased a Canadian flag, a New Brunswick flag, and a Canadian Forces Ensign.
Saint John REALTORS® joined a group of war veterans for a formal flag raising ceremony on November 4, nearly 71 years to the day after the battle for which the park is named: the sinking of the HMS Jervis Bay. The ship, which was outfitted for service in Saint John, was sent to escort a convoy across the Atlantic on November 5, 1940. It was attacked and outgunned by a German raider, but it bravely fought back, allowing most of the 38 ships in its convoy to escape before it went down with its captain, who was posthumously awarded a Victoria Cross for bravery.
As the Canadian Forces Ensign was raised, a bagpiper played Amazing Grace. “This park is very important to Saint John,” Jervis Bay Legion President Terry Murphy said later. “We are grateful to REALTORS® for all the effort they have put into this project.”
“Jervis Bay-Ross Memorial Park is important to the quality of life in Saint John as the east side of the city’s only green space,” Jason Stephen said. “But most importantly, the park is a living legacy to those who bravely fought for our freedoms. It is our duty to ensure that legacy lives on by preserving the park.”
Pictured (top): Members of the Saint John Real Estate Board gather with members of the Jervis Bay Legion, preparing to watch the new flags fly at Jervis Bay-Ross Memorial Park in November.
Pictured (bottom): Legion member Bob Slovitt and Saint John Real Estate Board member Harold Coughlan prepare to hoist the Canadian Forces Ensign.
