The Town of Prescott has come to a decision on where to paint orange walkways with white feathers commemorating Indigenous People.
At the October 18th town council meeting, the Town agreed to paint four walkways, on the east and west ends of the Heritage Trail and the Centennial Park riverside walking path. The walkways were proposed earlier in October after similar crosswalks were painted in Timmins and Gananoque.
Town council also intends to involve art students at South Grenville District High School in the design of the walkway. “It’s also an educational piece for getting the South Grenville kids involved,” says councillor Leanne Burton. “They’ll have an opportunity to learn a little bit more as well, so I think this is an excellent idea, and these are excellent places.”
Mayor Brett Todd says that, in addition to painting the walkways, more tributes to local Indigenous Culture are being considered, including plaques and an Algonquin Wayfinding Wheel. “Aside from the fact they look fantastic,” Todd said of the idea during the meeting, “and would be a gorgeous addition to the waterfront, obviously, the cultural significance, the Indigenous significance, I think something like those wayfinding wheels would be a tremendous addition downtown.”
Mayor Todd says the Town hopes to finish painting the walkways by the end of fall. Plaques commemorating the region’s Indigenous history are planned to be added next spring.