Banner for Lt. Col. Murray Stewart – Ret’d in Kingsville

If you’ve walked or driven through Kingsville, Cottam and Ruthven, no doubt you’ll have seen banners resplendent upon their poles, paying tribute to our veterans. They are beautiful. They make the heart swell, as they remind us of those heroes who were ready to give their all for their home and country.

And really, you can’t miss them. Kingsville has about 100 banners up, with a waiting list for more in 2021. In just two years, our town has one of the biggest veterans banner projects. Each banner is sponsored by a person, family, business or service organization as a way of honouring one or more veterans who were connected to the Town of Kingsville.

Kingsville has benefitted from input that has been graciously provided by the Wheatley Home Town Heroes Banner Project committee. And Kingsville’s committee has offered the same kindness to other towns who want to start a banner project of their own.

Banner for Sergeant John Henry Robertson in Kingsville

Such initiatives occur in many parts of Ontario as well as other provinces. These programs are not under any official umbrella. There is no provincial co-ordinator, for instance. It’s been a grassroots type of phenomenon that has spread simply because it’s a wonderful way to honour our veterans.

The concept of veteran banners for Kingsville originated with Daisy Stewart and her husband, Ret’d Lt. Col. Murray Stewart. Why not honour our veterans with banners? Daisy in particular wanted to pay tribute her husband who is a decorated veteran. The goal expanded to including the community of Cottam, Kingsville, and Ruthven.

The Stewarts asked Mary-Maureen and Jay Atkin to join them. The Atkins were a logical choice. Mary-Maureen is the Veteran Services Officer for the Kingsville Royal Canadian Legion Branch 188. Her father, Maurice Snook, was a Sergeant Major with the Essex Scottish Regiment during the Raid on Dieppe, France on August 19, 1942. Mary-Maureen is quite passionate about the project.

Banner for Robert Slater in Kingsville

Thus the Salute to Veterans Banner Project committee came into being. It has been a work of love from the very beginning. As word spread, people were very receptive, and the circle grew.

Mary-Maureen told the Kingsville Times, “We are amazed at the tremendous number of sponsors who have come forward in the first two years to honour our veterans. The incredible display of the banners throughout the community has prompted additional sponsors to contact us and request banners to honour many more veterans.”

Funding comes primarily from sponsors of the banner. Each banner costs $225. This pays for the banner’s design, materials and manufacture. Donations from project supporters have come in and are most appreciated. Anyone can sponsor a banner.

Banner for Corporal Christopher George Smith in Cottam

Because this is a community project, the Town of Kingsville has also helped with this community project by buying the banners’ brackets as well as covering their installation and maintenance. The Town raises and lowers the banners each year as well.

The Salute to Veterans Banner Project committee aims to create and promote an ongoing legacy, honouring all Canadian and Allied veterans connected to the Town of Kingsville, whether alive or deceased.

They intend to cultivate an ongoing and deeper sense of community, heritage and pride. They want to educate our young people, and future generations, about our veterans and the contributions and sacrifices they made for us all.

Putting the faces of our veterans aoft in the streets of town seems one good way to get the attention of the younger generation concerning the challenges and sacrifices of an earlier one.

Banner for William Arthur Barnett in Cottam

A multitude of people have been working behind the scenes for the Veterans Banner Project. It’s impossible to name them all but here is a partial list:

– The Jack Miner Migratory Bird Foundation has provided guidance for the project. They’ve also allowed the committee to use brackets from their Drive Thru Art Gallery.

– The Executive of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 188 and its volunteers have hosted various events of the Salute to Veterans Banner Project committee.

– Casey and Toni Kok have shown their creative ingenuity when they designed and constructed the launch banner gallery. This has made it possible for the committee to put all their banners together for display in one room.

– Mark Phelan of Magnum Signs has manufactured the banners.

– Phasor Industrial is the machine shop that raised and lowered the banners the first year.

– The Kingsville Historical Park Museum has helped with research about the veterans.

– Local businesses and media have promoted events and projects for the committee.

Banner for Flight Sergeant William Warren Wright in Cottam

The Salute to Veterans Banner Project committee cannot say enough about their sponsors and their families. This project would not be possible without them.

“And of course none of this would be happening were it not for our veterans. They are the reason for our project. We will remember them,” Mary-Maureen said.

“We encourage the community’s continued support of this project through promotion and future sponsorship of our Salute to Veterans banners. This is truly a wonderful community effort. We hope that everyone throughout the year would remember our veterans for their service, sacrifice, and valour which has afforded us the freedoms we enjoy today. Lest we forget.”

All photos by M.E. Havlik