Upgrades to the Bridgen Cenotaph will be officially unveiled during a dedication ceremony this weekend.
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 635 Poppy Chair Deacon Chuck Stevens said there were minor delays with the project while they waited for locates to be done.
Since receiving council approval in February, the branch has upgraded the principal Cenotaph to include dates of the Afghanistan War and erected two new monuments in honour of those who served in United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operations.
Concrete pads have also been poured for memorial benches to be placed, and some landscaping has been completed.
"The rest of the landscape work of course will be completed in the spring," Stevens said.
Since the work will continue into next year, Stevens said a total cost has not yet been determined. However, the amount of financial contributions received so far has surpassed expectations.
"Up to this point, it's cost close to $16,000 and we've actually raised closer to $20,000 -- $12,000 was our original target," he said. "This community has been incredibly supportive, we couldn't have done any of this work, especially without the cooperation of the St. Clair Township mayor and council, they gave us a huge boost and the public has really rallied around the erection and upgrade of this particular Cenotaph."
Stevens also said updates to the project have been posted regularly on Facebook.
"The feedback has been nothing but extremely positive. It's a privilege and an honour to work on a project of this type but it's extremely gratifying to see the support of the community in watching it go forward and watching it come to fruition," he said.
A dedication ceremony will be held on Sunday, October 27. Stevens said it is open to the public.
The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. so attendees are asked to arrive by 1:45 p.m.
"We're hoping for a turnout of all the people who contributed to completing this project as well as any veterans of NATO operations or UN peacekeeping missions in our area," he said. "There will be a reception following at the branch in Brigden."