Royal Military College's Wall of Honour Showcases Creative Use of Eldorado Stone
The creative uses and applications of Eldorado Stone continue to be as diverse and as interesting as the people who specify it. In recent years, we’ve seen a variety of beautiful applications that both impress and inspire. As the acceptance of manufactured stone widens and its many benefits become more known, we find Eldorado Stone to be the ideal choice for projects in both residential and commercial exterior and interior settings–anywhere the timeless look and feel of stone is desired.
A highly unique example of this is seen in the newly constructed Wall of Honour at The Royal Military College (RMC) of Canada. Established in 1876, this prestigious college in Kingston, Ontario is the equivalent to the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force Academies all rolled into one.
The idea of the Wall of Honour stemmed from the members of the class of 1963’s desire to provide a timeless and highly unique gift to the school. It was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their entry to the College as freshmen in 1959. The alumni committee wanted to create a place on campus where ex-cadets of the three Canadian Services Colleges of the past including RMC, could be honored for outstanding achievements and contributions to Canada or the world. Each year, a nominating committee reviews submissions for any and all eligible honorees and submits recommendations to a Selection Committee. Honorees have their names and details of their contributions immortalized on cast bronze plaques on the Wall. This first year, five outstanding ex-cadets were named from throughout the school’s history.
The Wall is centrally located on a cobblestone path that Cadets walk past everyday. The Wall stands 6 feet 10 inches high and runs 132 feet in length. Its serpentine design is double-sided and covered with Eldorado’s York Limestone, a profile that blends beautifully with the natural limestone buildings found on the century old campus. The Eldorado cap, with its width and height, gives the Wall that proportional balance and appearance of strength and endurance.
Ted Davie, a member of the class project, was a former military staff officer at the College and has been a successful custom home builder in Ontario, Canada. “We believe this wall has become an important part of the physical landscape of RMC in perpetuity,” says Davie. “It is intended that those recognized on the Wall of Honour will inspire everyone who views it as well as remind all Canadians to be the best that they can be through dedication, hard work, application of their talents and training, and letting Truth, Duty and Valour guide their lives.”
Davie explained that there were several reasons why Eldorado Stone was selected for the Wall. “The Wall’s design required cap pieces at least 24 inches wide with proportional height. After an extensive search, we found that Eldorado Stone offered exactly what we needed,” he says. “I had never worked with Eldorado before but as it turns out, it was the best choice we could have made for the project. We also relied heavily on the expert recommendation of our Master Mason, Walter Krysa.”
Krysa says, “I recommended Eldorado stone because I have worked with it previously, and prefer the look of it over other products. Also, the value, dollar wise, to the customer is a better deal. During the installation process, I was impressed with the variety of sizes, shades, and small, intentional imperfections that were worked into the stone to give it an authentic look. I also noticed a few stones that were made to look as if there were fossils imbedded in it.”
According to Krysa, the Wall of Honour was a bit more of a challenge compared to some jobs because of its serpentine shape and the amount of stone involved. The project required more than 1500 sf of stone, plus corners and caps. “It was a lot like working with a giant jig saw puzzle trying to achieve the desired affect I was going for,” Krysa admits.
The Wall was dedicated during an official ceremony on October 3, 2009 on the campus. The committee had spent more than four years fundraising and planning for the project, which took less than two months to build once they got started.
“Our class was blown away by how well it turned out,” says Davie. “It exceeded our expectations and we are still receiving accolades. In fact, people have been so impressed, that we continue to receive donations to the program and the school because of it.”
Eldorado Stone Profile Featured: York Limestone
Designer: Ted Davie, Kingston, Ontario
Canada Mason: Walter Krysa, Walt’s Masonry, Deseronto, Ontario
Distributor: CAN-Save Building Materials, Kingston, Ontario
Website: www.can-save.ca
Project Site: Royal Military College of Canada