A movement to recognize Chatham-Kent’s past is gaining momentum.
The Chatham-Kent Heritage Network is working with several community partners to commemorate historically significant people, events, and locations in the municipality.
November marked the unveiling of a plaque honouring the 1934 Chatham Coloured All Stars at Stirling Park in Chatham – the first such historic monument as part of the Heritage Network project.
Heritage Network chair Lisa Gilbert says it was the first of several plaques being planned across Chatham-Kent in partnership with local organizations and community groups.
“It’s up to the people who are in the various communities and the various groups to decide which plaques they think are most important,” Gilbert explains. “We’ve already unrolled year two, so if we get a whole bunch, then we’re going to probably have a committee where we decide which ones are successful for next year.”
Plans are already in the works for at least seven plaques to be placed in different communities around the municipality in 2024.
Gilbert says the group could use some tech support, particularly when it comes to creating an online presence to provide more information and continue to raise awareness.
“We are in the process of having (the plaques) produced and they will all have a spot for a (QR code) scan. We need somebody, some individual or some group, who would be willing to volunteer to put that together because we just don’t have the capacity to do it.”
Each plaque costs roughly $2000. The committee is also accepting donations from corporate sponsors or individual residents. A portion of the cost is also covered through the mayor and respective councillor’s share of the Hydro One Community Grant Program, earmarked for recreation, arts, and culture projects.