It’s an arduous task for a Drumheller man who’s made it his mission to restore the graves of Canadian soldiers in that community’s cemetery.
For a month, Eric Dahl, armed with just a small brush and a broom, has been down on his hands and knees cleaning the markers of those who fought for our freedom.
He says this is something he always wanted to do.
“I can remember everyday on my way to school wanting to show my respect to these gentlemen and ladies,” he says.
Dahl estimates there are between 100 and 120 graves in the cemetery but says not all of them are well marked so he’s afraid he may miss a few.
He says this task has made him more Canadian than he ever thought possible.
“Our maple leaf is one of the most recognizable symbols on this planet,” says Dahl. “Canadians when we travel abroad we’re loved and respected; there’s a reason for that. We are kind, we are generous , we are accepting but when it comes to the fight, there’s never been many of us, but you know you’re in for a fight when the Canadians are on the line.”
Dahl was happy to remain anonymous in his mission but that changed a month ago when a lady snapped a photo; it went viral and slowly more where moved to help him.
“Anybody that did give themselves to do what they did for the betterment of our country; it's something everybody should be doing and not just at this time of the year,” says Grant Kucher.
Some of the graves have laid untouched for the better part of a century and Dahl goes through two wire brushes everyday scraping and cleaning them.
