Planned community flagpole at Vernon City Hall finds new home

Photo: Jon Manchester

A community flagpole at Vernon City Hall will accommodate a growing number of requests for flag raisings for various events and causes.

In September, council directed administration to come back with options and costs on the project.

The estimated cost for a pole adjacent to the City Hall fountain was $10,000.

But feedback and council discussion has resulted in the pole being moved next to the proposed site of a memorial plaque honouring three former councillors on a large boulder closer to the City Hall parking lot.

The plaque would honour Patrick Nicol, Bob Spiers and Dalvir Nahal.

Community advocate Dawn Tucker, who ran for council, says the original pole placement by the fountain "would be in the loudest area for speeches... As it was during the Truth and Reconciliation ceremony, the fountain wasn't turned off like we did in Pride, and it was near impossible to hear many of the speakers."

Over the past year, the city has flown the Ukrainian flag, Pride flag, and Syilx Okanagan Nation flags.

Funds for the flagpole would come from the city's unexpended uncommitted reserve.

The plaque, meanwhile, was deferred until council's next meeting.

It was noted that wording on a mockup of the plaque was incorrectly attributed to ancient Greek historian Thucydides, when it should have been Pericles.

The quote states: "What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others."

Council previously approved up to $5,000 for the memorial plaque, which would cost $3,500.

The plaque would be installed this coming spring.