submitted by Roy Brown
The Honour Our Veterans Banner Program is an ongoing Remembrance, Cultural and Legacy Project that honours military Veterans who have served, or continue to serve, in the Canadian and Commonwealth Forces. Banner Programs with various names and banner titles have been adopted by cities, towns and villages throughout North America, as a means of encouraging members of their communities to remember the sacrifices made by their local Veterans.
The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 212 Kemptville, in partnership with the Municipality of North Grenville and the North Grenville Historical Society, are very pleased to announce the formal launch of the Honour Our Veterans Banner Program in our community. A Branch 212 Kemptville Banner Program Committee has been established to administer this special initiative that is intended to ensure continued recognition and respect for our Veterans by future generations.
The Veterans being honoured in this manner must be current or past residents of North Grenville or have a tie to our community. It should also be noted that the honourees or sponsors do not need to be affiliated with the Royal Canadian Legion.
The Banners
The banners traditionally include a head and shoulders photograph of the honouree, preferably in uniform, his or her Branch of Service, Theatre of Service whether it be in War or Peacetime, name of the banner sponsors, and in our case, the trademark partnership logos of the Royal Canadian Legion, Municipality of North Grenville and the North Grenville Historical Society.
The actual banners have the title of “Hometown Heroes”, measuring 24 inches wide x 60 inches high, which are manufactured from heavy gauge vinyl with double sided printing. The cost for manufacturing the banners is the financial responsibility of either the honouree or through private or corporate sponsorships on behalf of the honouree. The Honour Our Veterans Banners are priced at $275.00 per unit including HST and shipping and handling.
During the fall of 2023, the first edition of fourteen banners will be on display along Prescott Street in close proximity to the Kemptville Cenotaph. The banners will be attached to Municipal lamp posts, light standards or utility poles for a four-to-six-week period in October and November. It is anticipated that the banners will have a display life of a minimum of three years, solely dependent upon local weather conditions. When the banners are retired at the end of the three year period or beyond, the banners will be presented to the honouree, applicant or the sponsor as a keepsake.
As of Monday, April 10, 2023, a limited number of banner application packages will be available at the Reception Desk of the North Grenville Public Library, Kemptville Norenburg Branch, at 1 Water Street in Kemptville. The completed applications and associated documentation must be returned BY HAND to the Library Reception Desk no later than Friday, May 5, 2023. In addition to the application packages, a sign-up sheet will be left at the Library for those who are interested in sponsoring a banner as the program rolls out. This is an on-going program that will be expanded each year with the addition of new banners resulting from the same application process.
North Grenville Hometown Heroes Project
The Branch 212 Kemptville Banner Program Committee has also decided to initiate the “North Grenville Hometown Heroes Project” as part of the Honour Our Veterans Banner Program. Banner honourees, their families or friends are invited to write a brief military biography of the honouree to be attached to the application package. For those wishing to participate, the biography, photo of the honouree, along with a digital copy of the banner, will be placed in a special file at the North Grenville Historical Society Archives as a permanent record in honour of these exceptional men and women.