City of Belleville Mayor Taso Christopher (right) congratulates the Commanding Officer of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, LCol Chris Comeau at the parkette’s dedication ceremony Saturday, September 23/17. (Photo: John Spitters Quinte News)
The military unit that received the most battle honours of any Canadian regiment in World War II has received recognition of a different kind.
Today (Saturday), in bright sunshine and summertime temperatures, a parkette and memorial honouring the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment was unveiled.
The impressive memorial, as Belleville Mayor Taso Christopher noted, sits in a perfect location, along Dundas Street West at the busy intersection with Baybridge Road, basically where Hastings County meets Prince Edward County.
The parkette and memorial dedication was essentially the finishing touch on an over twenty million dollar upgrade and beautification of Dundas West and the Baybridge Road overpass.
A night time view of the memorial. (Photo: John Spitters/Quinte News)
In other remarks, Mayor Christopher said that while the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment is well known in military circles nationwide, it is much more to the citizens of the Quinte region and especially Belleville. “The Hasty Ps hold a special place in the hearts of all of the citizens of Belleville and I’m proud to help dedicate this memorial as a show of support to the regiment for their past, continuing, and future service to our area and country”.
Bay of Quinte riding MP Neil Ellis, an Honorary Major in the regiment, reminded the crowd that while the Hasty Ps have won special recognition in the past, the current members continue to receive top marks in annual inspections. “Without reservists like those in this regiment, Canada would not be
the country it is today”, said Ellis.
Prince Edward Hastings riding Member of Provincial Parliament, Todd Smith, thanked the regiment for its service and the sacrifices that were instrumental in protecting our way of life. MPP Smith also had high praise for the Dundas West/Baybridge Road upgrades, citing the project as a great example of what can happen when all three levels of government: municipal, provincial, and federal cooperate together to get something done.
All three levels of government provided financing. “The City of Belleville could never have done this project on its own,” added Smith.
Honorary Colonel of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, Ken Armstrong. (Photo: John Spitters, Quinte News)
The Honorary Colonel of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, Colonel Ken Armstrong, called the parkette and memorial dedication a “significant
occasion and a magnificent tribute”. Colonel Armstrong said everyone driving by will be encouraged to remember the role the regiment has played and is playing to protect our democratic way of life and to protect against tyranny. “The regiment’s roots lay deep in this part of Ontario”, said Colonel Armstrong.
The regiment’s Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Comeau, beamed with pride as the memorial was unveiled, saying the regiment was consulted
about how the memorial should look all the way through the project’s design. “What I really like about it is that it’s overwhelmingly understated” said Colonel Comeau. “It perfectly represents what we are. We aren’t about fancy uniforms. We are a county regiment, and we are very proud of our blue collar roots.”
Colonel Comeau went on to say that the regiment is looking to expand and he’d like to attract as many as 30 new recruits a month. This Saturday, September 30, the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment is holding an open house at the Belleville Armouries. The regiment currently has 170 members.
Those serving with the regiment are paid for their training and service by the federal government.
Commanding Officer of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, LCol Chris Comeau is surrounded by army cadets. (Photo: John Spitters, Quinte News)
