Community Application Name:
Regional Municipality of Durham
Location :
Clarington Fields, Bowmanville, ON (Hwy of Heroes 401 & Waverly Road)
Community Website :
Unveiling Date:
August 19, 2017
National Inventory of Canadian Military Memorials # :
Community Description:
The Regional Municipality of Durham is a vibrant and growing regional municipality located in the eastern portion of the Greater Toronto Area. It is comprised of several local municipalities and townships; Pickering, Ajax, Uxbridge, Oshawa, Whitby, Scugog, Brock and Clarington. The combined population exceeds 600,000 people.
Militia units have existed in the Region of Durham since the earliest days of the 19th century. The Ontario Regiment (RCAC) is one of the oldest continuously serving regiments in Canada and one of the senior armoured regiments. Over the years thousands of residents from Durham have served in the Canadian Armed Forces and several hundred served in Afghanistan. Its citizens have always displayed strong support for the military and its veterans. In fact, their impromptu gatherings on the bridges overlooking highway 401 during the repatriation of our Fallen along the 170 km route, from CFB Trenton to coroner’s office in Toronto, created a national phenomenon resulting in this section of the highway being named the Highway of Heroes. This powerful community display of national pride continues today and has even been duplicated by other countries.
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