Hedley residents, Jennifer Douglass and Andy English, devoted approximately 3 1/2 years to researching the names on the local cenotaph. They discovered 2 additional names that should have been included, and these have recently been added. When Jennifer and Andy speak of the young men who were killed in action in World War I, it is as though they know them personally and think of them as friends.

During the time of their research, they developed the Hedley Cenotaph Committee and attracted a lot of interest and support in the community. This summer the unstinting efforts of the committee resulted in the refurbishing of the cenotaph, including replacement of some lead lettering. In a statement to the Keremeos OK Falls Review, Andy said, “Many people helped and donated to the restoration fund, from local Hedleyites who had known the cenotaph all their lives, to people who recently moved to the area but who recognized the importance of preserving this memorial and for what it represented. Families who had lived in Hedley but had moved away contributed, as did relatives of many of the Hedley men who served in the wars. The biggest contribution came from Veterans Affairs Canada.”

On Saturday August 26, 2017 the Hedley community celebrated the completion of the refurbishing of the cenotaph, and took time to remember the fallen men whose names are inscribed on it.