Flags to fly on main street during October
Jonathan Mulvihill – The Renfrew Mercury
Thursday, October 7, 2021
During the month of October, Renfrew’s main streets will feature flags with players and supporters of the Renfrew Wolves, encouraging driver safety.
Jeff Scott, a member of the Renfrew Police Services Board, says this project was done in partnership with the board, the OPP and the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), along with the Renfrew Wolves.
“The goal of this project is to promote driver safety and also to promote our own junior-A hockey team,” he said.
Renfrew OPP Detachment Commander Dawn Ferguson said this project is partially funded by a ministry grant that is used to help promote public safety.
“The grant from the MTO was for $3,200,” she said. “The police board donated $500 and we got another $1,000 from Renfrew Printing and other in-kindness donations. Renfrew Printing also did the flag design and printing.”
Ferguson adds Tina Hunt, the former community safety officer for the area, was the one who chose the Renfrew Wolves as the public faces for this campaign.
“Part of the community safety officer’s role is to look at what grants are available for us,” she said. “Tina and her husband are huge supporters of the local hockey team, so this was very much her brainchild.”
Ferguson says the campaign was originally supposed to run in the month of July, but was postponed due to the Ann Senack trial, which had ended only a couple of months prior with the charges stayed. Senack was charged with criminal negligence leading to the deaths of two local hockey players and the injury of two others in 2017.
“At the time, the Renfrew BIA had suggested we postpone the campaign since they felt it would be in bad taste due to the recent trial,” she said.
The flags will fly on main street for the month of October, after which they will be donated to the Renfrew Wolves team. They will then be auctioned off, with proceeds going toward future safety initiatives.
