On 14 July 1946, the Governor General of Canada, Earl Alexander of Tunis, unveiled the All Sappers Cenotaph located in a public park just outside the gate of Camp Chilliwack. Next July, Canadian Military Engineers, serving and retired, and our non-Engineer friends will gather to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the event. Named for the original project, the event is called Operation GRANITE II. It was initiated by the Chilliwack-Vedder Royal Canadian Legion Branch 295 with the support of the Chilliwack Retired Sappers and the Canadian Military Engineers, its Association, and local organizations.
Operation GRANITE II will be celebrated over the weekend of 17 – 19 July 2026 in Chilliwack, BC. While the focus will be on rededicating All Sappers Cenotaph on its anniversary, the event will provide an opportunity for the Engineer family and our many friends to gather and reminisce about what we did and what we learned while they served or trained in Chilliwack. For newer members of our family who may not have a direct connection to the base, the event will provide an opportunity to absorb some of the history and heritage of the place and its importance in forging the Canadian Military Engineer Branch into the broad-based and effective organization it is today. We need to remember that Chilliwack was the Home of the Engineers for nearly six decades through the Second World War, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Balkans, Peacekeeping and nation building. The leaders who carried us through Afghanistan and the War on Terror were trained in Chilliwack.
The planning committee cannot reach everyone who should be informed about our plans. We are writing directly to all branches of the Royal Canadian Legion with a request for your assistance. We have enclosed posters for your notice board that provide links to the project’s website, where you can find details about the event itself, the history of the Park & Cenotaph, planned activities for the event, and how to contact the organizing committee. There are links to a slideshow and a FlipBook that describe the history of the monument and many references on our website describing its history over the past 80 years.
Please actively share this with your members to ensure as many people as possible are aware of the event. The event is open to everyone, regardless of corps or service affiliation. We want as many people as possible to share in our celebration. If anyone has any ideas for making this an event long remembered by many of your comrades and friends, share them with the organizing committee.
We thank you for your support and hope to see some of your members next summer.
Don Chipman for the
Op GRANITE II Organizing Committee