INNISFAIL – The town has jumped on board of a growing national initiative to honour veterans leading up to Remembrance Day with a new Veteran Banner Program.
The new local initiative is being spearheaded by the Innisfail Royal Canadian Legion Branch #104.
At town council’s regular meeting on Sept. 25, Danny Rieberger, chair of the branch’s executive committee, made a PowerPoint presentation that outlined a program that would have a maximum of 56 banners hanging from street lights in the Main Street area.
Council was told the intent is to display the banners to coincide with the Poppy Campaign that begins the last Friday in October and ending Nov. 11.
Rieberger told council the legion would volunteer to facilitate the program and create the banners. He said all banners would have the same uniform design, with the only change between them being the veteran’s name, service arm, branch location and photo.
Council was told the cost to citizens for each banner is hoped to be between $60 and $75, depending on production costs.
Rieberger said the town is only being asked to support the program by installing and removing the banners each year at no cost to the legion.
He said any excess revenue from banner sales will be donated to the Branch #104 Poppy Fund.
Council unanimously approved a motion to support the banner initiative.
“It looks absolutely wonderful,” said mayor Jean Barclay.
Coun. Janice Wing noted the new Veteran Banner Program will be an ideal fit with the just completed 2,300 square foot poppy mural on the south, west and east exterior walls of the legion.
“So, you think about the impact on that corner and now this, and it's like, ‘yes, congratulations. You guys are doing a great job,” Wing told council members. “And I think you will see legions from across the province come to Innisfail to visit. The impact will reach beyond our town.”
The following evening on Sept. 26 Rieberger formally presented the banner program to legion members at the branch’s general meeting.
The legion’s executive also honoured volunteers with certificates of appreciation for participating in the completed nine-week poppy mural project that was spearheaded by local artist Karen Scarlett.
“The legion is all about community, and we wanted to get the community involved with the mural project and seeing the banners up there and recognizing the veterans, and that the poppy campaign is still important to Canada,” said Stephen Black, president of Branch #104.
Innisfail’s move to bring in a Veteran Banner Program follows a growing list of communities across the province and country as a special way to honour veterans.
In this region, Didsbury has had a similar program since 2019 when local citizen Grant Hemming went to the Didsbury and District Historical Society to pitch the idea of creating veteran memorial banners that also hang on local street lights.
The society and museum seized the idea, and the local program in 2023 will be its fifth year to honour veterans with memorial banners.
“It’s been absolutely wonderful. It's become a multi-generational thing,” said Hemming, a museum volunteer who was pleased to hear Innisfail is adopting its own banner program for veterans. “It's provided a real learning experience for the families in allowing the multiple generations to all be a part of this program, and a lot of people are learning.
“It's commonly known that a lot of veterans don't talk about their time in the wars or in the service.”
For citizens wanting to honour a veteran in the new Veterans Banner Project the veteran must meet the definition of a Canadian veteran as outlined by the Royal Canadian Legion.
If the veteran is still living he or she must give consent.
