On November 5, 2014, the Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) III Monument Program was launched to recognize the 40,000 Canadians Armed Forces (CAF) who served in Afghanistan and to commemorate the 162 Canadians who lost their lives.
The LAV IIIs were used extensively by our troops, in Afghanistan, to carry out their missions and often became their home-away-from-home. The essence of the program was to create a unique opportunity for communities to convert these vehicles into monuments as a symbol of remembrance within the hometowns of those who served and sacrificed.
The program was made possible by the Government of Canada who donated the decommissioned and demilitarized LAV IIIs to the program. The monuments were built in London, Ontario by Militex Coating Inc. with the assistance of Fanshawe College welding students who earned course credits for their efforts.
The program closed after awarding 33 monuments to communities from coast-to-coast who met all requirements and agreed to pay for the production and transportation cost.
Points of Interest:
- Each monument cost $17,500, plus taxes, and displays a commemorative plaque
- On June 19th, 2015, the Town of Oromocto was awarded the first monument, at no charge, for submitting the most compelling application to the Selection Committee
- The LAV IIIs were originally built by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada (GDLSC)
- View the original LAV III specifications
- Each LAV III Monument is registered with Veterans Affairs’ national memorial database
- Canada’s mission in Afghanistan was the longest in our history, October 2001 – March 2014
- Operation MEDUSA, was the largest Canadian combat operation since the Korean War
- Je Me Souviens provides bilingual student teaching materials about the Afghan War
- 158 CAF and four civilians lost their lives during the Afghan War
The Monuments
