Pickering ‘re-installs’ Orange Crosswalk; Clarington unveils theirs October 4
Published September 27, 2022 at 1:19 pm
Clarington is set to unveil a commemorative orange crosswalk on October 4 while Pickering presented its orange crosswalk – for the second time – at a ceremony held last Thursday.
Clarington’s crosswalk – designed in partnership with the local Indigenous community, will be in front of Town Hall in downtown Bowmanville. As part of the unveiling ceremony, a land acknowledgement and offering of Semah (tobacco) will take place at 4 p.m., followed by a smudging ceremony (blessing), and personal stories about the impact of the residential school system and remarks from invited guests.
Meanwhile the City of Pickering re-installed its commemorative orange crosswalk at the intersection of Valley Farm Road and The Esplanade North last week. The crosswalk, designed by Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation artist Jon Colwell, was actually installed last November but had to be removed just days later after suffering damage due to the weather. Despite multiple coats of paint, the crosswalk did not properly cure, resulting in “significant deterioration” of the surface since opening to pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
The new crosswalk will feature seven eagle feathers to represent the Seven Grandfather Teachings and the Highest Honour given to Indigenous children. Community members who self-identify as Indigenous to Turtle Island were invited to apply glass beads as a protective coating for the crosswalk.
The re-installation at Esplanade Park featured poetry and storytelling by Indigenous community leaders, including Jo-Anne McKenna, a survivor of the Mohawk Institute Residential School.
The ‘Every Child Matters’ flag will be raised in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation / Orange Shirt Day on September 30.
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