No poppies will be painted on municipal pavement if city council approves a Remembrance Day memorial crosswalk proposed by Ward 4 Coun. Stephan Kinach.
As SooToday reported on Friday, Kinach found himself in hot water when he and fellow Ward 4 Coun. Marchy proposed installing a veterans memorial crosswalk somewhere in the city before Remembrance Day.
“The design of the crosswalk will incorporate respectful and symbolic elements such as red poppies, Canadian flags, or representations of the Canadian Armed Forces,” the wardmates said
But the head office of Royal Canadian Legion won’t allow even “respectable” poppies on boardwalks, pointing out that it owns a trademark on likenesses of the symbolic flower and strongly objects to poppies being painted on crosswalks, where they’ll likely to be walked on or driven over.
“I’ll gladly make a friendly amendment at council on Tuesday before the vote, to remove poppies from the design,” Kinach told SooToday on Saturday.
Coun. Bruni also contacted us on Saturday, but said it was “just a resolution for staff to come back with a plan.”
“I understand poppies cannot be painted and people can trot on it,” Bruni said, adding: “Hopefully something else staff can recommend to honour the veterans.”
The Royal Canadian Legion head office doesn’t object to memorial crosswalks honouring those who have stood on guard for our nation.
It’s developed a poppyless crosswalk template design to be used by municipalities and other property owners.
But poppies “should never be used on a crosswalk or where the symbol of remembrance can be trod upon,” the Legion says on its national website.
“A poppy crosswalk must be replaced. There is no need to change other crosswalk symbols used to honour veterans, however if, over time, it needs to be renewed.”
The Kinach/Bruni resolution is to be presented to city council at its next meeting on Tuesday.
The meeting will be livestreamed on SooToday starting at 5 p.m. that day.