MT's McCallum aims to honour veterans with London Road designation
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
Morris-Turnberry Councillor Jamie McCallum is beginning to build support for an idea to publicly pay homage to local Canadian veterans by adding an honorary name to Huron County’s portion of Highway 4.
McCallum wants the stretch, already known as London Road, to gain the additional title of Veterans Memorial Parkway and has begun the process of drafting a resolution that he hopes will circulate amongst the lower-tier municipalities of Huron County to gain support before seeking approval at the county level. “I think this a sign of respect for our veterans and it shows that they will not be forgotten,” said McCallum at the Feb. 21 meeting of council, held virtually via Zoom.
McCallum noted that there are three nearby branches of the Royal Canadian Legion in Wingham, Brussels and Blyth, and the community is home to a large number of veterans. McCallum suggests Highway 4 is an appropriate choice for the tribute because it runs from the northern end of Huron County to the southern end.
Deputy-Mayor Kevin Freiburger questioned the validity of the term parkway, saying, “If I envision a parkway in my mind, I don’t necessarily picture Highway 4.” McCallum indicated flexibility on precise sign verbiage and said he is only looking to best project the sentiment of remembrance and demonstrate gratitude to veterans in the county. Councillor Sharen Zinn added, “I think this is a great idea and I don’t think it’s really about the name, I think it’s more about the idea of it and honouring the veterans.”
McCallum said he has consulted Morris-Turnberry Director of Public Works Mike Alcock about the potential roadway name change and received encouraging feedback. Alcock indicated the honorary title would not affect existing resident addresses and drew comparison to Highway 21 being known traditionally as Bluewater Highway but later receiving the honorary designation of Bluewater Veterans Highway. Mayor Jamie Heffer said he would like to learn more about the implications of this type of name change before proceeding further.
Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk Trevor Hallam is tasked with fleshing out the resolution and providing more information for consideration at a later, not yet determined meeting of council.
McCallum admits that the idea is still in the early stages of development. He concluded by saying, “When I put this together it was just a respect thing… we have people that have sacrificed for our township.”