Mayor Darrin Canniff is bringing a motion at tonight’s council meeting for the municipality to investigate installing an Indigenous Seven Feathers crosswalk.
In his motion, Canniff notes the crosswalk would be a way for the municipality to make a step towards reconciliation in the community as well as commemorating Indigenous children who were taken from their families and forced to attend residential schools, Canniff’s motion wants administration to prepare a report that should include costs, possible locations and partnership opportunities to cover the cost of the installation and maintenance.
Several other Ontario communities have recently unveiled their own Seven Feathers crosswalks, signifying the teachings of the Seven Grandfathers or Seven Generations centred on love, respect, courage, honesty, humility, truth, and wisdom.
If approved, it would be the second specialized crosswalk in Chatham-Kent. A rainbow crosswalk was installed at the corner of King and Forsyth Street in downtown Chatham in 2018 in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
