Trail of the Caribou finished with last piece placed on Gallipoli Peninsula

After nearly a decade,theTrail of the Caribou is now completed.

A 1,500-pound,eight-foot-tallbronze caribou monumenthas been installed on theGallipoliPeninsula inTurkey the final placement of six monuments across France:inBeaumont-Hamel,Masnires, Gueudecourt, Monchy-le-Preux andKortrijkin Belgium marking where theRoyal Newfoundland Regimentfought during the First World War.

TheGallipolimonument honours theregiment's involvement in the Gallipoli campaign in 1915-16, the only one from North America to be involved.

"It's just such a wonderful moment, and a proud day for the regiment," Ron Penney, past chair of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Advisory Council, told CBC News on Tuesday.

"The Royal Newfoundland Regiment plays such an important part in the history of the province."

Penney hasbeen part of the project for the better part of 10 years. His great-uncle, Josiah Penney,fought inGallipoliand later died atBeaumont-Hamel.

The biggest hurdle to completing the project was a Turkish governmentpolicy that discouraged monuments being added to the Gallipoli Peninsula, particularly ones that represented the Alliedinvading force, including the nearly 1,100 Newfoundlanders.

That changed in 2018 after years of discussion among then House of Assembly Speaker Perry Trimper, the Newfoundland and Labrador government,the Canadian government,the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Advisory Counciland Turkish officials.

Eight Newfoundlanders are buried at the Hill 10 Cemetery inGallipoli. The caribou now stands nearby.Among the buriedisHugh McWhirter, the first Newfoundland soldier to be killed in active service in over 100 years.

A deal was struck

Key to installing the final piece of theTrail of the Caribou came in the form of an exchange between Canada and Turkey.

"Part of the deal, or the agreement, was reciprocitywith the government of Turkey. They wanted to place a sculpture in St. John's. I asked the City of St. John's to provide a space, which they did at the Boulevard in the Trail of the Caribou Park," said Penney.

"I think that sculpture has been done, but it has not yet been created. Butthere is a plaque at the place where the city of St. John's have agreed to place the sculpture."

When the COVID-19 pandemic ends,the government of Newfoundland and Labradorplans to hold an official commemoration ceremony.

"This project has been near and dear to my heart as a Royal Newfoundland Regiment historian and enthusiast," said project manager Frank Gogos in a media releaseTuesday.

"It's been a tremendous honour to lead the team responsible for replicating and installing the caribou, and finally being able to properly pay tribute to the regiment's time on the Gallipoli Peninsula."

Penney first visited Turkey in 2012 with Gogos to meet officials and scout possible monument locations. Heplans to return when international travelling is safer.

"To finally go back and see the culmination of a project that I and others worked so hard on for the last 10 years will be absolutely amazing," said Penney.

"I'm really looking forward to it."

The total cost of the project was$245,000, according to the provincial government.

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