In a recorded vote, the majority of Town of Huntsville Councillors, with the exception of Councillor Cory Clarke, agreed to set aside $5,000 from the Town’s portion of the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) to get the Unity Square initiative underway.
At first, the initiative involved a rainbow crosswalk but following opposition from some community members who said they did not want to see their tax dollars used on such an initiative for just one group, its proponents, Councillors Helena Renwick and Scott Morrison went back to the drawing board. They came up with a Unity Square which would represent Veterans, the Progress flag and the Indigenous community.
The square is being proposed at the corner of Dara Howell Way and the parking lot by River Mill Park.
“As a Unity Square, we are looking at doing three crosswalks. One would be the Seven Feathers Indigenous teachings, the other one would be the Progress Flag which is very inclusive, it involves people of colour, trans and the Pride community, and the third one of course would be the Legion, and they’re 100 per cent on board and they’re going to help us with it,” explained Morrison.
He also noted a similar initiative in Barrie cost an estimated $12,000 and said he was working diligently with Renwick to ensure taxpayer dollars are not used on the project. To test the waters, Morrison said he approached about 25 businesses and individuals who said they’d be willing to donate towards the project. The councillors will also be appealing to the District as well as the Huntsville Municipal Accommodation Tax Association while exploring other funding options.
Morrison said four companies have reached out to him and Renwick indicating that they’d want to bid on the project, he said the principal of one of the companies is from Kearney.
Renwick said they attended a recent general meeting at the Legion and they were on board. She also said Hope Arises was also on board and a natural fit. “I just wanted to echo what Councillor Morrison said that after we proposed the original crosswalk there was such negativity that came out, but there was this incredible swell of people that said ‘we want to help’ and it kind of balanced out the negativity that was there,” said Renwick.
Morrison spoke of the three groups represented in the proposed Unity Square and said Veterans don’t get enough recognition as it is. “I think that we can all recognize that they fought so we have the freedom to be who we are and to be who we want to be to make ourselves feel the best that we can.”
Morrison also spoke about the Seven Feathers in Indigenous teachings which represent the sacred teachings of former generations and protecting what is left for future generations. “They also, when you look at 2S in the 2SLGTBQIA+ is two-spirited… the Indigenous culture for hundreds of years have celebrated transgender people as being gifted from the gods with two genders and they were celebrated as special, special people,” explained Morrison, adding that the tie-in is amazing but there is still work to be done.
Morrison and Renwick moved forward a motion asking that $5,000 from the Town’s portion of the MAT be directed to the project to get it started. All councillors voted in favour, except Councillor Cory Clarke.
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Linda Ann Jewell says
I support this project and would be happy to make a contribution. Please let the public know how this can be done. Good work, Council.
Thomas R Spivak says
Thank you Mr. Clarke for having some backbone.
Too bad our other councillors can’t understand that we are in a time of economic uncertainty and this isn’t a time to be spending tax dollars this way.
Now, what’s going to be done about the washrooms debacle?
David Harrison says
I cannot comprehend the ‘wokeness’ of this council. Why is a ‘unity square’ even needed? Is such a project going to bring unity to the residents of Huntsville? I don’t think so.
There is already a Veterans’ Memorial adjacent to the Summit Centre, at the base of Lion’s Lookout. Why is there a need for two?
For those who were opposed to a rainbow sidewalk (of any flavour), are they are not going to remain opposed? Is a unity square going to change their opinions? Why not just put up a sign saying, ‘Everyone Welcome’ and leave it at that? Why is it necessary to highlight those with differing sexual orientations?
Why is Council using Municipal Accommodation Tax funds for this proposed project? I thought these monies were to be used to promote tourism. Will a unity square attract a single tourist?
Why did Council deem it appropriate to restrict participating advocacy groups to three? Does that not discriminate against the many other worthy advocacy groups? Surely, this is the very antithesis of unifying.
Members of Council, please fix our roads and infrastructure, enact bylaws to save the beauty of our town, help those who need housing, pursue bringing doctors and nurses to our community – the things councils are elected to do – and stop wasting time and resources on vanity initiatives.
Bill Beatty says
Good work Gang….See ALL of You at the Legion on Saturday for The Remembrance Day Service , 11 A.M. sharp !
Ross Pease says
Mr Beatty,
Please show up about 10:30 am if you want to see the whole remembrance ceremony. It is well worth it to see the pipers and the colour guard march on to the cenetaph area. I encourage all readers to attend. Least we forget!!
Ross Pease W.O. (ret)
Scott Morrison says
Thank you Linda and Bill.
Thomas, you are 100% correct. We are definitely in times of economic uncertainty. This is why we are determined to only do this if we can keep it away from the tax levy. That money is better spent on roads, community services etc. I agree with you, I don’t want your tax dollars going toward this initiative.
We are looking to fund this initiative through contributions from the local community and potentially the hospitality tax funds that our hotels and resorts collect.
The BIA and Chamber of Commerce have submitted letters of support. We also have letters of support from many other local businesses, including hotels and resorts. They feel that this will be a great thing for a community and it will indeed attract tourism.
And yes, there is a memorial near the Summit Centre for the Veterans. There is also a Cenotaph at the Legion. But we can never do too much as far as recognizing our veterans is concerned, considering how much they’ve done for us.
As far as our wokeness, I take that as a compliment not a criticism. To be woke is simply to be alert to prejudice and discrimination. I would think that this would be a good thing, but hey that’s just me.
Thankfully, we have a tremendous amount of support for this and I think that it’s going to be a great addition to our town. Best of all, we can do it without taking any money away from the many things that our staff is currently working on.
Cheers
Cameron Renwick says
Mr. Pease you are quite correct – it is well worth attending the Remembrance Day ceremony at the legion not only to see the Colour Guard and pipers, but also the drummers as well. (Bill Beatty is our bass drummer, and has been for quite some time). I know he’ll be keeping us in step on the 11th.
Cameron Renwick
Pipe Major – the Cameron of Lochiel Pipes & Drums
Chas Clark says
Lets not forget that the air cadets of 844 Norseman Squadron have an honor guard around the Cenotaph all night before the ceremony on the 11th. These young people stand with heads bowed in groups of 4 for half an hour in shifts all night no matter the weather to honor the fallen. They then take part in the morning ceremony. These youngsters do Huntsville proud.
Lisa McIlmoyle says
Well done Council! “Touch the Past, Embrace the Future”!! I respect your consistent effort to keep our beautiful town of Huntsville evolving while still honouring the past and those who fought for our freedom and life liberties today. Empathy, kindness and compassion should be at the core of all decisions and conversations and I do see this as a priority with our council members. Keep up the great work TEAM! 👍🏻👍🏻
Stanley Moulson says
I guess because Councilors Helena Renwick and Scott Morrison had the proposal for a rainbow crosswalk downtown Poo-Pooed by the District of Muskoka and, I’ll use one of councilor Morrison’s favourite terms, “A lot of people”, they are now going to use funds from MAT and private donations from local businesses to further their personal agendas. Why not just call it Vanity Square?
I would like to point out to our town council that those of us who were opposed to the rainbow crosswalk, downtown have not gone away. Unity Square will be exclusive and divide the population of Huntsville even further. We already have a Veterans Memorial at the Canada Summit Center and at the Cenotaph at the Canadian Legion. The 2SLGBTQ+ protests and anti-protests in Huntsville have clearly shown how divisive this group is, so to include a Rainbow/Progress, crosswalk (a rainbow flag by any other name.) would be hypocritical.
The use of time and resources for the town council to seek the installation of “Unity Square” could be used to address other more immediate concerns like housing, deregulation of new building, restructuring of Social Services and community supports that work to incentivize people to get off Welfare and work, and creating tax break incentives for local business so they can grow, hire and pay better wages.
Hey! But that’s just me. (Another of councilor Morrisons expressions)
Allen Markle says
The idea of a ‘Vanity Square’ is a bit much, and a ‘square’ sort of implies more than just three sides, or supports or factions or whatever. For me it should be four. But does that seems to be the point of this exercise? That fourth factor, the rest of the population, represented I imagine by the F and M letters, is just ignored and the 2S designation has been scooted to the front of the line. that’s interesting.
There is the constant mention of ‘inclusivity’ but there is nothing in human society or on this earth that ensures that everyone is going to love you. Just look around. Some folk will not be your friend ‘just because’. Everyone lives with that.
I don’t care if you put together a ‘unity square’ or paint a rainbow, or whatever makes you happy. But understand that there is no guarantee that any of this will work. To be overtly encouraged by people who must know that…seems a bit misleading?
And our councilors must also know that if the word ‘Tax” is part of something, then some government functionary reached into a pocket and retrieved those funds. From a tax payer.
I am attracted by Councilor Morrison’s comment about this effort; the “and it will indeed attract tourism” part. Would this suggest it could make some money? In that case, having a ‘unity square’ installed in council chambers might be a novel concept.
I have nothing against your community, but I am a bit agitated when it’s so demanding. And of something that can’t be assured. Let’s hope once this is done, the constant drone about inclusivity might become just a murmur and we can all just get on with our lives.
But does anyone believe that’s what will happen?
Chas Clark says
With yet another park being built, will there still be room for the $300,000 washrooms?
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