At its December meeting, Huntsville’s General Committee agreed to move forward with a Unity Circle at River Mill Park.
Councillors heard from Brandon Hall, Civil Engineering Technologist for the Town, regarding the Unity Circle proposed for the area where Dara Howell Way intersects with King Street.
“The objective of this project is to create a public space that fosters inclusivity, celebrates diverse communities, and educates visitors about important local and cultural values,” noted Hall in his report to committee.
Hall was following up on council’s previous direction for staff to work with proponents, Councillors Helena Renwick and Scott Morrison, as well as stakeholders to come up with an appropriate design.
Hall said following numerous meetings a design was firmed up. He said a decision was made to go with a circle rather than a square and include a ‘community section.’
Hall also told councillors the project had taught him a lot.
“The collaboration on this has been absolutely great. I can personally say for myself that I have absolutely learned so much through this… they stand for so much more than what I thought and so very proud to be a part of this,” said Hall. “You know what I get out of this project, is this tells me Huntsville is strong and Huntsville is united.”
The collaboration included municipal and council representatives as well as representation from Muskoka Pride, Huntsville Royal Canadian Legion Branch 232, Hope Arises, and Hall said input would also be sought from members of the Town’s accessibility advisory committee.
“Staff, in collaboration with the identified community stakeholders, have held several meetings to review, refine, and finalize a design concept for Unity Circle. The proposed design includes a unique, pie-shaped layout with four distinct areas, each celebrating members of our community and a central crosswalk that ties the space together. After the initial design concept was presented and reviewed by all user groups, final adjustments were made, and the concept was finalized,” he stated.
A majority of council voted in favour of moving forward with the project, which they heard will be realized through community donations and not from the tax base.
Asked about the upkeep, Councillor Morrison said the plan is to hopefully also create a reserve with the donations and noted that stencils would be used for touch-ups, rather than having to repaint the entire circle. Hall said resilient paint will be used to hopefully withstand wear and tear, however, he also anticipated it may have to be touched up once or twice a year.
Councillor Cory Clarke said he could not support the project. His concerns included maintenance, staff time, and vandalism.
Town of Huntsville CAO Denise Corry said cameras are planned for that area. She also noted that council can decide to discontinue the project at any time. While Morrison and Renwick argued that fear of vandalism is not a good reason not to proceed.
In the end, committee members, except Clarke, voted in favour of moving forward with the project.
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This causes more separation than inclusion. Who cares about someone’s religion, race or sexuality? If this is supposed to be about acceptance there should be a lot more segments in this circle. How about putting some effort into the drug and homeless problems in this town. Let’s provide easier and more access to mental health care which could even help keep a lot of people off the streets.Create avenues for homeless people to get jobs and help them get back on track. People visiting or wanting to relocate to this area can see how acceptable we are by looking at how we treat our own people. Most of our younger generation don’t have a hope in hell of buying a house in this town. So how do they feel about there future? Can anyone see the pattern? I know it is hard work, long hours and very thankless at times when being on council but if you do decide to run or are on council now please put concerns of the public ahead of your own.
Let’s leave our town crosswalks and intersections bare of any unity circles or rainbows. Instead of focusing on politically driven issues, a mural with several vignettes highlighting our Huntsville friends and neighbours would be more visible , require little maintenance and add to our already established mural theme.
Some scenes to depict those embraced , appreciated and valued in our community might be : our seniors , our youth , our indiginous ties , soldiers, athletes , community service groups , gay community , vibrant art society , accessibility and the multi cultural fabric.
A mural of inclucifity to send a strong message of appreciation and recognition for all who make Huntsville a welcoming community , is needed.
Joanne Tanaka: Yours is an interesting comment indeed. Hope you aren’t suggesting that inclusiveness is indicated by my donating money to build/maintain something that I see as symbolism at best. Hope that’s not the consensus of the group. Because this ‘gesture’ will not be getting my money. Not saying I’m dissing the group. Just saying they can come up with the financing from their own pockets or someone else’s. But for sure not mine.
I’ll donate to the hospital fund, food banks, our local hospice and spur of the moment urges (not often), but not this. It seems even the town won’t front you the cash! And Lord knows they will spread our tax dollars on a plethora of what eventually turn into useless gestures! A grandly touted OP comes to mind. My opinion for sure but maybe not solely.
The mention of my ancestors, the Markle, Hanes, Fetterly group, who were arriving here in the 1860/70’s is a bit out of place. These folk were building homes, farms, sawmills and such. Other than for churches, there was hardly a symbol in sight.
Just an idea a committee could be brought together to look after things of this nature and the town volunteers could look after the Unity Circle and this would also bring the community together as well and new ideas could be born this way and I would be willing to help with the Unity Circle in anyway at all…
Hmm. Four slices of a Unity Circle clearly separated by crosswalks. It’s lovely but I don’t see this design and pictures as fostering inclusivity. That’s a concept that is difficult to visually depict.
All different groups of people separated in different groups. Not touching each other. Also the pride flag changes every 2 minutes so will be out of date by the time this is done. How about a Canadian Flag? It represents everyone united. To be honest I am sick of these do nothing projects that cost way to much money. I understand its going to be funded by donation, but I think there is better things to raise money for. No Thank you.
Interesting comments by people and so it will be interesting how/ whether donations can be raised to complete the Unity Circle and create a supportive reserve fund for maintenance. The achievement of this fundraising will be the real demonstration of Huntsville townspeople’s commitment to an inclusive, caring place of well being, accessible to all. This project asks us to be like the friendly, open-hearted, courageous persons who were the first stewards, and also the first settlers of Muskoka and the soldiers who fought to defend their friends and family in past wars and so now we can welcome people from all over the world (even Toronto) who come to help us in our daily lives and businesses and join our families.
If we could all just love our neighbor, there would be no need for this discussion.
Marsha frost says it very well. We need to unify as a community not separate into groups.
I am so proud of my father fighting in WW2 to protect our values and lead Canada to our most prosperous time in history.
Let’s continue that fight against evil and stop separating all into sub groups.
I agree with Marsh. Council Still trying to shove LGBTQ at us. I think they are creating division in the comunity. So tired getting LGBTQ shoved in my face. Just live your lives and quit trying to convert everyone. We are already inclusive though getting harder with this constant push.
Universal love, understanding and acceptance is an ideal. There is too much ‘human’ in the human psyche for it to be achievable. Striven for certainly; but not realistic. Simply my opinion but I’m sure there are swords being drawn already. My point.
Said ‘Universal Circle’ dismisses the part of the population that this ‘group’ claims to want to be part of. That they want to be included in. I don’t see how that can work with most of the population symbolically excluded. Except for the Legion, members of which put their lives on the line for the very rights we all want to claim.
I do draw some consolation from the mention by councilors Renwick and Morrison, that the “fear of vandalism is not a good reason not to proceed”. It sure wasn’t with the washroom, so why start now? But the mention of camera installation might give us hope. ‘Better late than never!’
Personally, I’d like to see the camera(s) focus more on the washrooms but that’s a personal choice. Wouldn’t it be lovely to apprehend some of these miscreants? But I suppose we would be disappointed with the lack of concern by our courts.
I hope it all works for you; that you can feel acceptance is that much closer. I imagine though that this is just another step in the plateau bargaining process. A constant search for that which will assure the universal love, respect, acceptance we all hope for.
I don’t think it’s out there. Therefore man’s constant search. That’s ‘Man’s search’. Not just some select ‘community’.
I hope this will be a meaningful piece and not just woke virtue signalling like we see way too much of nowadays.
In my opinion, if its about unity, thn it shld be about the things that Actually unify us instead of simply having 4 seperate things representing diffrnt individual groups which does not speak of unification.
As an LGB person i dont need to see a symbol that represents who i sleep with (im tired of rainbow crosswalks and flags) tht point out that Im diffrnt thn regular straight people….we hav so mch more in common.
I was active in the First Nations community for decades as well but now the growing message I get from the community is “colonizers not welcome, go back to Europe”. I will always hold my few lovng Native friends close but theres somthng very hateful coming out of that community right now and i had to take a step bck whn too many started supporting Hamas.
Ive been told to feel shame for my Grandfathers contributions by fighting in WW2 for freedom and peace. Thes are very toxic times we live in now.
Does everything hav to be about race, gender and sexuality? Can it not be about the things we ALL want and cherish? I feel thats wher we unify🩷
There are so many problematic issues, we’r more divided than ever into ever smaller and more exclusive groups, each drawing strict lines to keep others out.
So please, dont make another exclusive, seperated piece by slapping on a rainbow flag, an orange feather, a black hand etc.
Please make it about what REALLY matters and what we ALL hold dear….love, peace, freedom, stability, equality etc
Im not sure how exactly that wld look but im tired of being put in a box tht doesnt really define who I am and only serves to point out more differenc
Instead of painting the Unity Circle for Rivermill Psrk, could someone be found, in our great pool of artisans, that could do inlay?
It would not require ongoing costs of repainting & be more resistant to vandalism.