In 1971, Gerry and Ike Inglis built the cenotaph in Glen Williams. Almost 40 years later, Gerry and his great nephew, Ryan Inglis, added a 200-pound cross that was hand cut from a stone on the family’s farm.
Over the years, generations of the Inglis family – Gerry, Ike, Dave, Bob and Ryan – carried on the stone masonry work started by Harry Logan, Gerry and Ike’s uncle.
While the cenotaph is the most recognizable example of their craftsmanship, the family’s stone work is scattered throughout the town, from St. Alban Anglican Church to the stone home at the top of the hill on Confederation Street to walkways, even the brickwork at Preston’s grocery store.
The cenotaph sits at the base of a bridge crossing the Credit River leading to Glen Williams Park, which Ike Inglis and a small group of other residents helped create from a farmer’s field.
That bridge will now be known as the Inglis Bridge after Halton Hills Council approved its naming during its most recent council meeting.
“Not only are they fabulous stone masons, and the cenotaph is such a gift to Glen Williams – it’s a treasure,” Councillor Jason Brass said, “but you look at Ike Inglis, who was one of the main developers of what is now known as the Glen Williams Park, so there are many reasons why the Inglis name was brought forward.”
The northern bridge on Main Street will also have a new name, the Forster Bridge, after the respected minister Rev. Forster of Norval. The bridge is at the foot of Forster Street.
Rev. Forster was a good friend of the Williams family.
“He was such an iconic figure in Glen Williams,” Brass said.
The other bridge on Main Street, between St. Alban Anglican and St. John’s United Church, was named the Williams Bridge by the Town of Halton Hills in 1996.
The Esquesing Historical Society recommended the names and the Heritage Halton Hills Advisory Committee and the Glen Williams Ratepayers’ Association endorsed the naming of the bridges.
“I think the three names are very deserving,” Brass said.
Councillor Joseph Racinsky said in addition to honouring prominent Halton HIlls residents, the naming of the bridges also has a practical purpose. He said when talking about upcoming bridge reconstruction projects, residents were often unclear on what bridge was being discussed. The bridges had previously only been identified by numbers, which did little to avoid the confusion.
Bob Inglis said Brass, his fellow Halton Hills councillor, called him at the beginning of October to tell him he was putting the motion forward. (Inglis declared a conflict of interest and did not vote on the bridge naming).
“I grew up just down the road. My mom walked me to school on the first day of Grade 1 over that bridge,” Inglis said. “On behalf of my family, we’re honoured. It’s a little humbling.”
The expected $2,000 cost for each of the plaques will be added into the budget when the bridges are repaired and reconstructed.
