Design, Build Team Chosen for Memorials

Modest designs that are in harmony with the coastal environment of the St. Margarets Bay area have been selected for the Flight 111 memorials.

In keeping with the rock formations in the area, the memorials at Whalesback and Bayswater will be constructed of granite. The stone structures will be aligned with the crash site off the coast and with the other memorial.

The names of the passengers and crew will be inscribed on the walls of both memorials, unless the families request otherwise.

The design, selected by the Flight 111 Memorial Advisory Committee, was proposed by a joint project team made up of architect Richard Earle of Dartmouth, Lloyd MacLellan Construction Services Ltd. of Williamswood, and Nova Tile and Marble Ltd. of Dartmouth. The cost for the memorials, expected to be completed by September, has been estimated at about $500,000.

Mr. Earle, the designer, said the three memorial sites -- Whalesback, Bayswater and the actual crash site -- form a triangle in which most of the recovery effort took place following the crash in September 1998. He said it is important that the memorials pay tribute to this effort and at the same time offer a place for contemplation.

"The essence of the design concept was to place the physical monument structure behind the viewer, quietly concentrating attention on the accident site and the beauty and serenity of the St. Margarets Bay area," said Mr. Earle.

The team's proposal was selected from among five finalists whose budgets ranged from about $250,000 to $800,000. Each proposal was evaluated according to criteria set out in the request for proposal. Those included the ability to adhere to construction deadlines, budget and overall design.

"The victims' families, the people of the St. Margarets Bay area, and others involved wanted a memorial that would be simple, tasteful and in keeping with the local geography," said Lorne Clarke, chair of the Flight 111 Memorial Advisory Committee. "I believe the selected proposal meets these wishes."

At the Whalesback site, a large granite boulder split in two will be positioned on a natural stone plateau with a view to both of the other sites. The names of the passengers and crew will be inscribed on the smooth inside walls. From a distance, the monument stones will appear part of the rugged natural landscape.

The design at the Bayswater site, which includes the interment area, will be more symmetrical and formal. Here, the names will be on a massive granite wall aligned to the crash site 10 kilometres off the coast. The wall will be at an angle to three other pieces of granite, in their turn aligned with the memorial at Whalesback.

The rock to be used in both memorials will be New Brunswick granite, a deep-quarried variety that maintains its long-term structural integrity.

The memorial designs can be viewed at the Coordination and Planning Secretariat, Flight 111 website at www.gov.ns.ca/flight111/updates.htm .