The City of Hamilton has created its first commemorative Remembrance Day crosswalk in collaboration with the local veterans.
Christopher Redford, heritage presentation coordinator for the city, told The Epoch Times in a phone interview that they looked at several designs before deciding on one. The crosswalk has painted red and white stripes along with a silhouette of a soldier at each end and the words “Lest we forget” written in black.
It’s something that Redford said he hopes will remind people of the sacrifice of veterans more often.
“People tend to take notice because people think it’s a small way that you can remember at the locations where cenotaphs are,” he said.
The city has already been receiving feedback from the public on the crosswalk design, which has all been positive, including comments from someone who saw images of the crosswalk on social media from their home in Vancouver.
The crosswalk will play a role in the local Remembrance Day ceremony this year, Redford said.
“Before the Remembrance Day ceremony in Stoney Creek, the Legion will be having a little dedication before the ceremony starts,” he said. “Everybody will be sort of standing out there on the crosswalk, looking at it.”
Redford said the design is painted directly on the street, and when it wears out, they will repaint it.
It could also be the first of many for the community, he said.
“There are seven different ceremonies held for Remembrance in Hamilton at different cenotaphs, so that opens up the possibility of other ones coming to exist,” he said. “For this year, anyway, we’re pleased just that this has come to fruition, and we'll see what the future brings.”
Hamilton is not the only Ontario municipality that has decided to commemorate Remembrance Day in this way. Chatham-Kent also installed a painted crosswalk in honour of veterans for this year’s ceremonies.
“This crosswalk is painted in commemoration of those who serve, have served, and those who sacrificed on behalf of our country,” the post said.
“With Remembrance Day approaching, we continue our show of support to the veterans of Chatham-Kent, past, present and future,” the post said.
The municipality said it would be unveiling more Remembrance Day crosswalks in the in the near future.
