(Angie Rolheiser/northeastNOW staff)

By Angie Rolheiser

Honouring Veterans

Veteran banners installed in Melfort

Oct 8, 2021 | 2:12 PM

Over 70 commemorative banners have been installed on light poles along Sask. Ave. in Melfort to honour area veterans.

The banner program, which is a joint effort by the Melfort Legion and Melfort Communities in Bloom, has been in the works for a couple of months now.

Peggy George with CiB told northeastNOW installation began on Monday and wrapped up on Thursday.

“They are now up and flying high and they are looking pretty amazing,” George said.

Applications for the banners began in July and in two months time, the 74 light poles available had been filled.

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“Putting this together, the stories that I have heard about the veterans and the families involved, it has been really rewarding,” George said.

The banners will be up for the next six weeks until after Remembrance Day.

“If they were up all year, I don’t think it would be as meaningful,” George said. “Putting them up for October and November, I think it is a better reminder for us all to be grateful and thankful and not to forget.”

When the city puts up Christmas decorations, the banners will come down, George said.

Feedback on the banners over the past few days has been very positive and a waiting list has been created for the program.

“There are people now that are only just finding out about the program because they have seen them up and wish they could be involved,” George said. “We just couldn’t find everyone but next time.”

The banners are good for three years at which time they will be returned to the families.

The business portion of highway south of the tracks and Saskatchewan Avenue was also recently designated as ‘Veterans Way.’

(Angie Rolheiser/northeastNOW staff)

The finishing touches were put on a mural on the back wall of the legion in September to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the poppy as well.

There is no word yet on what Remembrance Day services in Melfort will look like this year but the Legion’s poppy campaign will get underway in a couple of weeks.

–

angie.rolheiser@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser