By Roy Wood, Special to the Times Chronicle
A new crosswalk featuring red maple leaves and commemorative text will soon appear outside the Osoyoos Royal Canadian Legion after council granted approval of the project.
Legion branch 173 poppy chairman Kevin Webb asked council last week for permission to re-paint the crosswalk across the town-owned road and to coordinate with the operations department.
Sample of the new crosswalk that will be stencilled on.
Legion image
Council unanimously passed a motion saying: “That council approve the legion 173 request for a commemorative sidewalk and that legion 173 will pay all the costs associated with the crosswalk and that legion 173 will be responsible for maintenance of the crosswalk.”
According to a written proposal to council: “During the Remembrance period and throughout the year, a growing number of legion branches and communities are developing commemorative crosswalks to honour veterans.”
The commemoration will include two red maple leaves and the words, in French and English, “In Honour of Those Who Served and Sacrificed.”
The legion will do all the work involved in the project and will coordinate with the operations department around timing and traffic diversion. Webb also said the Legion would maintain the crosswalk when it fades over time.
Images of a series stencils for the maple leaves and the commemorative text are provided to the local legion branches by national headquarters.
CAO Rod Risling said that the annual re-painting of crosswalks and traffic lines could begin as soon as the next few weeks. Risling noted that painting of lines is done earlier in Osoyoos than many other municipalities in the province because of the milder winters.
