Memorial Veterans Banners – Program Expansion

The Town of Parry Sound and Parry Sound High School, in partnership with the Museum on Tower Hill, the Downtown Parry Sound Business Association and the Royal Canadian Legion Br. 117, have announced an expansion of the Memorial Veterans Banner program for the Community Remembrance Project in the Town of Parry Sound for the fall of 2024.

In 2017, this program was initiated by Program Ambassador Mr. Rick Lund, along with other teachers and students involved in Parry Sound High School’s Vimy 100 Trip, to honour and remember the individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice as they served Canada in a war or on a peacekeeping mission. The first expansion the next year saw an additional 70 veterans displayed on banners throughout the streets of Parry Sound. Due to continued popularity and requests for additional banners, the program has been under review for further additions.

This expansion of the Memorial Veterans Banner Project will see an additional 74 Veterans honoured on 37 new banners that will be ready to be installed in Downtown Parry Sound in Oct. 2024. Mayor McGarvey explains “With great thanks to the staff and students of Parry Sound High School’s Vimy 100 Trip, the Town saw this program established in 2017 – this is the second program expansion, due to overwhelming program popularity and demand. This will be a wonderful addition to the existing 214 Veterans who are currently displayed on banners in Parry Sound from Thanksgiving to Remembrance Day each year. Parry Sound should be proud of this extensive display of local community pride. The banner program has been a unifying factor in our community, as people from every part of the district, including local First Nations, have sponsored banners”.

The Program Expansion application process will open on Friday, November 10th, 2023; at 8:30am via www.parrysound.ca. Anyone wishing to participate is strongly encouraged to use the web-based application form. Application forms will be made available at the Town Office, 52 Seguin Street on November 10th at 8:30am. All new banners orders will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Sponsoring one veteran on one side of a banner will cost $135 and applicants can also purchase mini replica banners for $30 each. To allow applicants to prepare ahead of time, starting tomorrow at noon on the town website, they can access a list of the information that they will need to submit when they apply for a banner online starting at 8:30 AM on Nov. 10.

For more information on the Memorial Veterans Banner Program, please contact April McNamara, Manager of Parks & Recreation, april@parrysound.ca.