The Honour Our Veterans Banner Program has hung banners on streets across Yorkton. Each banner highlights a veteran from the Yorkton area. The first set of banners have been installed, and more will be installed in October. Over 100 veterans will be celebrated over 41 banners, including a group of Treaty 4 WWI soldiers.
There will be a COVID-safe celebration of the project on Oct. 5 at City Centre Park, starting at 1:30 p.m. Several banners will be presented in person, and General Alexander Ross’s banner will be installed at the end of the event.
The banner program will continue into the future. While the banners are in place for this year, the Royal Canadian Legion Alexander Ross Branch #77 will continue to accept applications for banners to be hung for 2021. The program is open to any member of the public who wants to sponsor a banner, whether they personally know a veteran from the area or want to be matched to a banner for an area veteran by the legion. Honourees can be any man or woman who served Canada or its allies in a war, on a peacekeeping mission, or in the Cold War, and any active service members including RCMP. To sponsor a banner for the next year, contact the Legion office at 306-783-9789 or email [email protected] and they will forward an application to you. The cost of sponsorship is $200.00 which can be paid by cheque or e-transfer. The sponsorship covers the placement of the banner for up to five years, as long as it remains in good repair. After five years, or when normal wear and tear prevents its display, sponsors will have the option to replace it. Biographies of those veterans featured on each banner can be found at the Legion’s website at yorktonlegion.ca. The banners will be hung in the city for the month of October until Remembrance Day. The banners pictured above are on Darlington St.
