CENTRE WELLINGTON – The Fergus and Elora Legions would like the township to consider painting two crosswalks to honour veterans.
Randy Vaine delegated to council on behalf of Fergus Legion president Randy Graham and Elora Legion president Don Cubbage on Aug. 25.
Vaine said the crosswalks would be adjacent to the cenotaphs in Elora and Fergus and would be a fitting tribute to war vets.
“I think this could be considered tourism too,” Vaine said. “It shows respect for veterans … It’s something we want to get on the record.”
Vaine hoped council would agree and the crosswalks could be painted by Remembrance Day. But it’s not as simple as that.
CAO Dan Wilson noted the township doesn’t have a policy on painting crosswalks, but the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) advisory committee is working on a recognition policy and crosswalks might fit in with that work.
“Eight weeks is a tight timeline though,” Wilson said.
Council voted to refer the request to the DEI committee and include crosswalk painting in the recognition policy.
In a phone interview after the meeting, Cubbage said after Remembrance Day last year, an Elora Legion member mentioned that other communities have the painted crosswalks and thought it might work well in Centre Wellington.
He said there would be two crosswalks in Elora: one from the post office to MacDonald Square and one from the square to Metcalfe Street.
In Fergus the crosswalk would go from the tennis courts to the cenotaph on Tower Street.
Mike Hirst of Topline Pavement Services has said his company could do the work, but Cubbage said he didn’t have a cost estimate or other details for the Aug. 25 meeting, so he didn’t attend.
But he’ll be at the Sept. 15 meeting with all the pertinent details, he said.
“We feel it’s a worthwhile enterprise,” Cubbage said.
“It would be disappointing if the township couldn’t do it in time for Remembrance Day.
“We hope council will see the merit of this.”
The Royal Canadian Legion is very strict about the use of images of poppies. On its website it states images of poppies are not to be trod upon.
So the Legions suggested red maple leaves with red or white stripes through the crosswalk.
Topline’s suggestion was red and white stripes with silhouettes of war veterans, although they are open to discussing the design.
