Veterans honoured with Memorial Cup garden

War veterans were honoured Monday during the unveiling of the Memorial Cup Remembrance Garden at the WFCU Centre.

The garden, located inside the roundabout entering the arena property,commemorates veterans and celebrates the city's love of hockey, explained Mayor Drew Dilkens.

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"We're going to be able to look at this garden for many years to come," he said. "It's another legacy project for the City of Windsor that we can all be proud of."

LaSalleCoun. Mike Akpata, who also served in Afghanistan in 2007, spoke at the unveiling Monday, saying the Memorial Cup is much more than a hockey trophy.

"It's something we can embrace and be proud of as Canadians," he said. "We're here to honour our service members, both current and those who've passed. We're hear to think about them and honour their sacrifices that have turned this country into what it is."

Windsor Spitfires president Bob Boughnersaid legacy projects like the remembrance garden are an important component of winning the Memorial Cup bid.

"We also recognize there'd be great opportunity to honour our military service families and celebrate our history," he said. This "provides an opportunity for players, families and fans to pay a moment of respect and reflect on just how fortunate we are to enjoy our freedom."