Port Alberni's original Royal Canadian Legion Br. 169 was founded in 1942, and members opened their legion building by the Somass River five years later. It was one of two legions that used to exist in the city (Branch 55 was the other one).
A flag pole and cenotaph were erected by Armistice Day the same year Br. 169 opened, by early members R. Gilliland and Frank Lockwood. That cenotaph was the focal point for Remembrance Day ceremonies until 1988, when the land where it was located was needed for another use.
A new cenotaph was erected in 1989 closer to the Legion building by the Somass River — what is now known as Legion Br. 293 after the city's two Legions amalgamated. The rededicated cenotaph is still a focal point of the Legion.
A War Monuments in Canada newsletter notes that the rock used for the cenotaph at the Legion is from a mountain overlooking Sproat Lake.
Photos of the original cenotaph and rededication ceremony can be seen as part of the Alberni Valley Museum's digital photo archive.
To view more than 24,000 historical Port Alberni photos, visit the museum's online photo archive at https://portalberni.pastperfectonline.com.
