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The man behind a thwarted proposal to build a massive 24-metre, $25 million statue honouring Canada’s war dead in Cape Breton Highlands National Park is still trying to win hearts — by sending out Valentines.

Never Forgotten National Memorial foundation sent out a Valentine’s mailer packages to groups and individuals across Canada, one recipent described the contents as a little twine baggie, cheap chocolates, a CD-R with the Beatles’ song P.S. I Love You, some Valentine’s themed stickers, some literature and business cards for foundation president and CEO Tony Trigiani, the Toronto businessman behind the project.

Shunned mother

The contents of a Valentines mailer sent out by Never Forgotten National Memorial foundation which included some chocolates, stickers, a CD and messaging urging recipients to approach opposition representatives to bring the project back to life. - Contributed

Parks Canada pulled the plug on the foundation’s controversial Mother Canada project in February of 2016 after it had initially supported it and had worked with the group for a number of years to bring the cenotaph to fruition. In the end, Parks Canada cited too many outstanding concerns and said the project couldn’t go ahead in the planned location at Green Cove.

The design for the massive monument depicted a grieving mother perched with her arms outstretched East towards Europe meant to “honour all Canadian war dead — wherever they may lie,” according to the organization’s website. Plans for the site also included interactive opportunities and tributes.

The foundation aimed to raise $25 million to build the monument and even got a grant of Parks Canada grant of $100,000 under former prime minister Stephen Harper.

Despite a list of high-profile supporters, ranging from high-ranking military officials to journalists and politicians of all stripes including Conservative leadership hopeful Peter MacKay, the project was extremely controversial with its critics calling it an eyesore and arguing that it shouldn’t be allowed in a national park.

If Canadians had forgotten about the project they could be forgiven. When Parks Canada pulled the plug, Mother Canada quickly dropped from the news cycle and public discussion.

But it seems the Never Forgotten National Memorial foundation really doesn’t want it to be gone or forgotten.

Holiday reminders

Trigiani confirmed with SaltWire via email that over 1,100 themed packages were sent out across Canada as well as to a small number of individuals and groups in America, England and Scotland.

This isn’t the first time mailers have been sent out by the foundation: in 2017, CBC reported that nearly identical packages went out to various groups. At the time, Trigiani confirmed he sent out 500 of the packages to “business leaders, academics, journalists and politicians.” A similar Halloween package included a picture of Trigiani wearing a pirate’s hat.

An information card sent with this year’s package sheds some light on the purpose of the mailers.

“Over the course of the last few years now, NFNM foundation has sent out a number of theme-based mailers to you, in order to mark important seasonal events,” the card reads. “The main purpose of which, was and remains, as a means of celebrating, of understanding, and of embracing the world of Our Fallen, and not as some would have you believe, as being solely done as a means of the glorification of war. It is done because we deeply believe that the need for remembrance should not be just for simply one day, but rather that it should be respectfully lovingly woven into the entire year.”

The card goes on to wish recipients a happy Valentine’s Day and asks them to “save a big hug in your heart for Our Fallen while offering a prayer and possibly even a tear, and while also embracing the soulful lament of ‘if only we could have brought you home.’”

A second information sheet sent with the packages urges supporters, “to reach out whomever now represents your interests in this current situation of a minority government within parliament” and encourages them to pressure Parks Canada to return to the bargaining table with the Never Forgotten National Memorial to resolve any differences or challenges that remain unaddressed so a building permit can be granted for the statue.

One the building permit is granted and the funding goal reached, the foundation says, it will “and with no further delays and obstructions, proudly begin construction on Phase One of this historic public/private initiative, at the Green Cove site on the world-famous Cabot Trail.”

A similar message also appears on the group’s webpage.

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