Operation GRANITE II: Honouring Our Heritage

Historical Significance

All Sappers Park and Cenotaph, located near the old Camp Chilliwack site, is the principal Canadian Military Engineer memorial in Canada and is central to the history and heritage of the Canadian Military Engineers. The planning, design and quarrying efforts for the Cenotaph began in the closing days of the Second World War. The original effort was called Operation GRANITE.
Since the closure of CFB Chilliwack in 1997, the Retired Sappers Association has been a vital maintainer of the site. However, as time goes on and old Sappers leave us for that ‘Bridge Camp in the Sky’, the time has come to gather one last time in Chilliwack to remember the contribution that service in Chilliwack has made to the Canadian Military Engineers, our families and our friends of all corps and branches since its opening in 1942.

A Time to Remember

The occasion of the 80 th Anniversary of the original dedication of the memorial provides an ideal opportunity for all who have served there to remember those past days. To that end, the Retired Sappers Association has enlisted the help and support of the Canadian Military Engineers Association (CMEA), the Royal Canadian Legion, the Military Engineering Institute of Canada (MEIC), and the to hold a reunion and homecoming to bid a goodbye to those days on the weekend of 17-19 July 2026 in Chilliwack. Fittingly, the event has been named Operation GRANITE II and will be built around the 80 th
Anniversary of All Sappers Park and Cenotaph. This will likely be the last major CME celebration in what was the “Home of the Engineers” from 1942 to 1997.
Retired Sappers, Sapper Apprentices, Combat Divers, Airborne Sappers, and Engineer units have held many popular and festive gatherings in the old camp and base over the past eight decades. The format for the event is simple. Our gathering will centre on the Chilliwack Heritage Park and All Sappers Memorial Park.

Operation GRANITE II: Honouring Heritage

We will open with Registration and a Meet & Greet on Friday. On Saturday, we will gather at the Cenotaph for a Service of Remembrance. That afternoon, individuals and groups will be offered a range of recreational activities related to the history of the area. That evening, there will be a Memorial Dinner. Optional group memorial services are planned for Sunday morning, followed by a Farewell Brunch. Historical displays will be featured throughout the event. It is planned to have a videographer capture the event with personal interviews and stories recorded for posterity.

This is Your Moment to Make History

Join us at Operation GRANITE II and stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow Canadian Military Engineers, families, and friends as we honour eight decades of service, sacrifice, and camaraderie. This is more than a reunion—it’s a chance to reconnect with those who shaped our legacy, to share your story, and to ensure that the spirit of Chilliwack lives on for generations to come. Be part of this important gathering at the “Home of the Engineers”.

Reconnect & Remember -- Make a Lasting impact

Tax-deductible donations to the Military Engineering Institute of Canada will be used to support history and heritage efforts including the production of videotaped interviews, an appropriate souvenir and displays of historical interests.

Don’t Let This Opportunity Pass You By!

Together, let’s honour our history and build a legacy that endures.
To learn more about Operation GRANITE II and keep up to date, see our website at https://operation-granite-ii.info/.