Secord Monument showed that sometimes a man is honoured, respected in his own country
To the Editor:
How haunting for me it was, reading
this article (below) about my great-uncle, Dr. Solomon Secord.
As you read and envision how he lanced the throat of a young child who was lying there dying with diphtheria, as a last effort, and sucked the infection out with his own lips to try and save the dying child.
And then you read the last paragraph, of the honour and accolades from the residents and the community of Kincardine. How they, fittingly, turned their memories of a local pioneering Canadian physician with the highest ideals and a servant of the sick and afflicted (and there were many such country doctors in those early days across Canada) into a tangible form of gratitude. Local residents and families donated their own money for a Canadian monument to "show that sometimes a man is honoured and must be respected in his own country."
And now, fast forward to the current mayor, deputy mayor and all those on the council who destroyed the Dr. Solomon Secord Monument.
The Secord Seven, who had no business making a decision like this in the first place, and even more importantly, completely disregarded the very wishes of the pioneers of the community and the majority of citizens who elected them.
Community residents whose families very likely contributed to this monument and, quite likely, families who might not even be here if it wasn't for Dr. Solomon Secord.
How could this council be so cruel?
Not even return my communication prior to the monument's destruction.
They should all take a walk in the snow and join our recently-resigned Canadian prime minister.
Then I will be pleased to offer to provide, in trust, to the community of Kincardine, another monument of the same.
Best regards,
David Secord
Calgary, Alberta
This article is from "The Kincardine Review," in 1964
Written ByNo bio for this author.
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