Remembrance Day banners

Wellington Community Association wants to honour local Veterans

The Wellington Community Association (WCA) has begun a project that when completed will see 10 banners displayed along Main Street honouring local residents who served in the First or Second World Wars. The WCA is a group of Wellington and area residents who advocate for the values and interests of the community. They have four areas of focus: beautification of the village; traffic and pedestrian safety; providing a community voice for infrastructure and development; and preserving and enhancing the heritage and culture of the village. The group has been active most recently on the issue of water rates and proposed development in the village. They have also participated in areas of interest such as physician recruitment for the County and a plan to attract Nurse Practitioners to the area. One beautification project nearing completion is the installation of two artist-decorated heritage benches, which will likely happen in early May.

The heritage and culture sub-committee of the WCA has identified a few projects of interest, and one of them is the installation of street banners in support of Remembrance Day. “We want to commemorate the residents of Wellington who served in the First and Second World Wars. I think it’s important to honour them for the roles that they played, and for us to remember them. We would also like to commemorate the women, who were nurses or drivers or pilots, and who also served,” said WCA member Joanne Green. Lisa Reddick and Ms. Green are spearheading this project, and they envision having 10 banners, mounted on utility poles, situated from West Street to the Town Hall. The banners would have a photograph of the Veteran being honoured, their name and in which branch of the military they served. Such banners are in place in many Ontario towns and villages, and Ms. Green said she was particularly moved with emotion when she saw them while driving through the town of Madoc last Remembrance Day.

The estimated cost of each banner is $250, and the WCA sub-committee is looking for two things. First, they would like area residents who had a family member who served during the wars to get in contact with them if they would wish to have that relative honoured with a banner. Secondly, they are looking for sponsors to cover the cost of the banners. The banners will be made of a durable material to resist the well-known winds of Wellington, and will be mounted two to a pole. The group also intends to provide a pamphlet with additional information, including a QR code. They hope to have the banners installed a few weeks before Remembrance Day this year, and they will remain in place for about a month or so. The group is looking at using the mounting brackets for additional seasonally themed banners featuring the work of local artists. For more information about the banners, please contact Ms. Reddick at lisareddick10@gmail.com. For more information about the WCA, please visit wellingtoncommunityassoc.com