A new initiative looks to honour the veterans of Yorkton and area.
Monday the Royal Canadian Legion’s Honour Our Veterans committee made a presentation on the project to the regular meeting of Yorkton Council.
The committee is dedicated to bringing a legacy project to Yorkton that showcases veterans from the area. The banners are two-sided, profiling a different veteran’s picture on each side, listing their name, their area of service, and the family sponsor. The banners would be installed 4 - 8 weeks before Remembrance Day and would be taken down shortly after November 11, each year. (Examples can be shared), explained Tamara Hall on behalf of the committee.
“The banners would be a point of colour, interest and history in our downtown area, and more importantly, would bring honour to our veterans,” she said.
The group plans to include veterans from the past and the present - citizens from our city and immediate area, Metis and Treaty 4 Indigenous veterans, and veterans that may not presently live here, but that have a connection to our city.
As the project grows, we hope to integrate school involvement and a walking tour component, said Hall.
In year one the goal is to install 50 banners, honouring 100 veterans.
Each year after that for the next four years, we hope to install about 50 more, until we reach the limit of 270 banners (the number of city-approved light posts), said Hall.
The cost of the banner itself would be covered by a sponsor (usually family), and the price would hold a banner spot as long as they are in good repair, up to a five years limit. At the end of five years, the family/sponsor would have the choice to re-new the sponsorship, or take the banner home to do with what they choose, detailed the report to Council.
There is a cost to putting up banners, noted Hall. At present, City Policy dictates that the banners must be installed by the city. Currently, the cost to install and remove a banner sits at $150.00 per banner, plus tax. This covers the use of a bucket truck, a safety vehicle to follow behind, and the time/labour for employees. It is estimated that it would take approximately 0.5 hours to hang and another 0.5 hours to remove each banner
Also, any banner-mounting hardware that is needed must be purchased by the banner organization, and then becomes the property of the city. The city currently has 50 brackets suitable for the banners. Each set of brackets is approximately $100.00 plus tax and shipping.
To help the project move forward Hall said the committee hoped the City could forgo the installation fees and install the banners without cost.
“In February of 2012 the Banner Policy No. 60.10 was adopted by City Council to create a framework to allow banner programs setting parameters for installation of street light banners in designated public right-of-way’s within the City of Yorkton,” explained Darcy McLeod, Director of CDPR, with the City.
“The policy states that the installation of the banners may be sponsored by several agencies including the City of Yorkton, Yorkton Business Improvement District, Yorkton Chamber of Commerce, or other registered charities or non-profit corporation. They may also be sponsored by a for-profit organization, however the application for the program must meet the criteria set forth in the policy.”
As for the Legion project, McLeod noted it has been successfully done elsewhere.
“In the fall of 2019, in the Town of Watson, the Legion Branch #272 pioneered this banner program, and were able to minimize costs with the support of local businesses and volunteers,” he said.
McLeod reiterated “The Banner Policy states that the supply and install of the banners (including hardware) shall be borne by the sponsoring organization, but that installation shall be done by the City of Yorkton for reasons of liability, safety, and knowledge of the process.”
The cost for this is $150/banner. Initially the organization would be putting up 50 banners in this case and would like to grow the program to 200 banners. The cost to put up and take down 200 banners at $150 equals $30,000.
The Honouring Our Veterans (HOV) Project Committee has made application and been approved in principle for their HOV Project by the Banner Review Committee. They have been working hard to find funds and expect to have 50 banners to place this year. Their intention is to fly the banners from the beginning of October until mid-November each year. The concern is the cost to erect the banners and they are requesting a few concessions from Yorkton City Council regarding the parameters in the policy.
The project is intended to extend long-term. The barrier is the annual installation costs and the Committee is looking for a committed sponsor. The Public Works Department estimates this project will take around one week to accomplish. As with some non-profit organizations, City Council can consider providing the Legion with an annual grant of up to $10,000 for the HOV Project installation costs. Once the program reaches more than 65 banners, the project organization would need to find additional annual sponsors.
If the project can find qualified volunteers and/or businesses, the City could provide authorization for the Committee to erect the banners themselves. Administration would need to ensure they have proper insurance, qualifications and equipment, and safety programs.
City Council can also consider donation of City staff’s time, and tasking the Public Works Department with installation (keeping in mind that this takes away one week of regular operations. This option is not preferred for the City as the interference with regular operations is substantial and may cause delays. Administration recommends that a term be assigned to these sorts of commitments in order to provide an opportunity for future reviews.
The Banner Review Committee recommends that the most suitable location for this project would be on Darlington Street in the area of the Cenotaph, and would therefore suggest that Darlington Street between Myrtle and Fourth Avenues be added to Section 4.2 of the Policy under the ‘Locations,’ said McLeod.
Councillor Quinn Haider said the project had merit.
“I think this potential group of people and this cause, nobody can be opposed to. It’s a no-brainer,” he said.
However, Haider worried it might set a precedent in how the City views banners that could cause some issues later on.
“The money is not the issue ... it’s more a judgement on who can and who can’t hang banners,” he offered.
“Yes I would say you’re right,” agreed McLeod.
It was however pointed out there are safeguards built into the Banner Policy to give the City discretion on what banners might be hung.
“So any potential can of worms we could open are already open,” observed Haider.
Coun. Ken Chyz said the effort to recognize veterans is a good one, suggesting they might still have trouble finding the volunteer base to take on the installation, suggesting the City providing $10,000 a year in funding would help in that regard.
“This is a great project,” echoed Mayor Bob Maloney.
Maloney too though was in favour of funding installation to keep control, adding with volunteers the issue of insurance can be a big one.
In the end Council unanimously authorized providing the committee with a grant of up to $10,000 for 2020 to cover installation costs whether that is done by the City, or arrangement by approved volunteers.
The motion also included an amendment to the Banner Policy to add Darlington Street between Myrtle and Fourth Avenues under ‘Locations.
