We are proud to announce the start of our Norquay Banner Project. The purpose of this project is to create a lasting legacy of remembrance and honour within our community. Through the displaying of the banners, we hope to engage the community in honouring and remembering local veterans through an initiative that will ensure continued recognition and respect throughout future generations.
Earlier in the year, during our chamber meeting, we discussed that it would be nice having flags along our Main Street. From there discussions were made about how nice the veteran banners were in other communities. We started researching, calling a lot of people and businesses, and searching for a grant that could help us – as the frames would be expensive.
Each banner will be in honour of a specific service person with a connection to Norquay and district. It will include their name, era served, branch of service, photograph, and the name of the person(s), group, or business honouring them. The large five feet by 30-inch vinyl banners in full colour will be displayed on our Main Street light posts from late September to the end of November.
The banner project started after a lot of research went into the types of brackets and frames used, as well as the types of materials used on the banners themselves. Tamera Hall from the Yorkton Legion Honour the Veterans committee gave us a lot of information to help us get this project started. Dale Mennie from the Kelvington Legion Veterans Banner group provided us with information. Most importantly, they let us borrow their pole bracket and metal frame. This was so valuable when showing others and getting quotes on making these locally. This was a huge help as we didn’t have to figure out how to fabricate them ourselves. We wanted something strong enough to last for years.
After compiling a lot of information, we took the information to our local legion and town to ensure that we had their support and interest. Both agreed that they would like to see this in our community. We then found a grant online that we could apply for to help with the costs of this project. The Norquay town administrator, Denise Sorrell, on our behalf, applied for a Commemorative Partnership Program grant through Veterans Affairs.
We formed a committee to look after this project and called it The Norquay Banner Project. Committee members include: Colleen Robinson, Reagan Foster, Lennie Abbott, Jeremi Korpusik, and Kevin Ebert.
We recently found out that the grant we applied for was approved. This commemorative grant will help cover the cost of the pole brackets and the one-inch square metal tubbing used for the frames. We are getting our local welder, Erwin Rayner, to make these for us. Our design of the banner is currently being worked on.
Along our main street in Norquay, we have ten light posts. We plan on hanging two double sided banners on each pole. Therefore, we are able to display 40 veterans.
Honourees can be anyone who has actively served Canada or its allies in any capacity past or present. The honouree must have some connection to Norquay and District (born here, grew up or lived here, or is related to a current resident). This Banner Project is open to anyone wishing to honour a veteran. If you do not know of anyone personally but still want to sponsor a banner, we will help you find a local veteran to honour. We are so excited to have these in our community and we can’t wait to see them hanging on our main street.
At this stage, we would like to invite individuals, businesses, or families who wish to honour a veteran. Application forms were sent out through the mail, but can also be picked up at local businesses or found on our town website.
The deadline for applications to be submitted is July 31, 2021. This should allow us enough time to have the banners made in time for our opening ceremony and hanging of the banners in September. These banners will be on display until the end of November and put up again the following September. Eventually, on our town website, the public will be able to access a link displaying individual banners as well as the short biography about the veteran being honoured.
Applications will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. We have posts to hang a maximum of 40 banners. Honouring a member will cover the placement of a banner for up to three years as long as it remains in good repair. After three years, or when normal wear and tear prevents its display, you will have the option to replace it.
For more information, people are invited to contact these committee members:
Lennie Abbott (email: [email protected]), Reagan Foster (306-594-2293),
Jeremi Korpusik (306-594-2293), Kevin Ebert (306-594-7283), or
Colleen Robinson (306-594-2251).
