Photo:Andy Harjula.
City of Kawartha Lakes Deputy Mayor Tracy Richardson with her uncle in front of a veteran banner in honour of her father, Private Edward Bryan of the RCR 1st Canadian Parachute Division.
On October 16th, sixteen banners were unveiled at the Ponytpool Community Centre at a ceremony commemorating veterans from the former Manvers Township. The Historical Society led by Kathy Morton and Teresa Jordan, have completed the launch of a Veteran Banner program in their area. These banners, sponsored by family members, celebrate the contributions of local veterans during war efforts. All branches of the armed forces were represented in the banners on display in the hall, and in several instances banners bore a common surname.
These banners will fly on the lampposts in the home village of the veterans, which for this group includes Janetville, Bethany and Pontypool.
The Veteran Banner Program celebrates the legacy and contributions of members of our armed forces, and local initiatives are spreading across the country. Some are launched by local legion branches, but others like this one have been introduced by historical societies and even museums. The program has been operating in the City of Kawartha Lakes, where it has become so popular they have run out of poles and now rotate the banners to make sure all are displayed.
The Manvers Historical Society expects to have more banners in the coming years, but their next major project is to record stories of their service members in a printed publication in the future. KG
