While Marilyn Reedy is at work in downtown Wallaceburg for the next month, she will take comfort knowing her late father is watching over her.
An old photograph of Reedy’s dad Arthur W. Ferrar is displayed prominently on the brand new banner installed outside of Riversite Realty – one of 25 Legion banners that were being put up on Wednesday.
“It’s quite emotional,” Reedy told the Sydenham Current.
“It’s very special. I have a sister and brother who will be thrilled to see this too.”
Reedy said her Dad was a farm boy growing up from the Whitebread area and eventually became a mechanic with the Canadian Air Force. He was stationed in British Columbia and in Nova Scotia during the time of the Second World War.
“They called him ‘Shorty’… he was quite short,” Reedy said. “He was almost too short for the Air Force but he was very strong from working on the farm. He went with a lot of local people from around here.”
Peter Polkinghorne, an executive member with the Royal Canadian Legion Br. 18, said he was thrilled to see their idea come to fruition on Wednesday.
“We started this program in the early spring and asked any families that would be interested to sponsor a banner of a loved one or friend,” he said. “These are our veterans. After starting in the first part of March, we got them together, we got them produced and now the (Chatham-Kent) works department is here and putting them up for us.”
Polkinghorne said 25 banners in total will be erected in the downtown core of Wallaceburg, and will remain on display until just after Remembrance Day.
“We’re appreciating our veterans with this project,” he said. “Letting everyone know that they have done so much for us and we should certainly appreciate that and understand that.”
The Legion partnered with the Wallaceburg BIA and the Municipality with the project.
Here are some photos of the banners being put up:
