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Inside Links
SIMCOE COUNTY NEWS
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Council approves deal with Legion to locate Cenotaph, but support splitPosted March 9, 2010A lease agreement between New Tecumseth and the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 171, was approved last night by a 5-3 recorded vote setting out terms for a new Cenotaph on property at the Alliston Memorial Arena. It's a deal that covers 20 years, expiring Feb. 28, 2030, for a nominal rate of $1. A further 20 year renewable on three months notice, and termination provisions are included. The Town is also contributing $5,000 to the project, matching a contribution to a similar project in Beeton. The Legion's plan right now is to erect a main stone that will include the names of Alliston men killed in WW I and WW II war, and two separate markers for peacekeepers and other military conflicts, on a parcel about 735 sq. m at Albert and Paris Street. Currently Branch 171 honours its local war dead at a memorial built into its Dufferin Street Legion building facade. A preferred site was the parkette at Nelson and King Street, but because it was already dedicated to the railroad history through Alliston, a second option turned to the memorial arena site, as set out in a brief Nov. 9, 2009 letter to council. It was attached to a report from Parks and Recreation Manager Joyce Epstein setting out the Legion's request, and seeking direction from council. The recommendation was to approve the site and enter into a long-term agreement. However, because it was not pulled for separate discussion by council at the Dec. 7 committee of the whole meeting, the recommendation was approved. Ward 2 councillor Dennis Egan, who was out of the country at the time, said last night that while he wasn't opposed to the cenotaph, he did not support encumbering a piece of the memorial arena property before council determined what its future fate was. The arena's ice was decommissioned following the opening of New Tecumseth Recreation Centre and its uses have been limited to some floor sports and events, plus the community room on the second floor. There have been unsolicited offers to purchase the property for residential uses. "I was not here when this was presented to committee of the whole back in December, but prior to that, all the discussion that took place within council was that before anything was done on that site, we would have a decision as to what the Town would do with the entire site and the memorial arena etc.," said councillor Egan. "The issue that I have as a councillor is by putting the cenotaph in this particular spot, and by giving the lease in the manner in which it is, I feel devalues the property in the event the Town was to dispose of it. I have nothing against the effort coming forward. My full comment is based on the Town going forward as a total project for the Town and not just a small portion of the land." Those sentiments were echoed by Ward 1 councillor Jamie Smith, who has led the call on council to gauge public opinion as to the arena's future. When Ward 1 councillor Christine Brayford suggested that public input was sought on the cenotaph matter, Mr. Smith disagreed. "I don't think it was a public process at all," he said, noting that negotiations with the Legion had gone too far "to vote against it at this point." Ward 3 councillor Barb Huson, "wholly supportive of the Legion locating a spot for the cenotaph" also criticized the deal's timing. "I just have a problem with the way this has moved through this council," said Ms. Huson who joined Mr. Egan, and Ward 5 councillor Jess Prothero in voting against. Mayor Mike MacEachern, who with Ms. Brayford sit on the Legion's cenotaph committee, was absent from last night's meeting. Reached this morning by email, mayor MacEachern noted that the main goal was to find a site that was "visible and easily accessed." "The group looked at several publicly and privately owned sites focusing on visibility and accessibility," wrote the mayor. "The original preferred site, while highly visible, would have conflicted with other uses and was difficult from an accessibility point of view. The Memorial site is highly visible and accessible. It also respects the original and current use of the property as a memorial." |
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