Secord monument. (supplied image)
Kincardine Council has chosen to work with a consultant to figure out how best to deal with the Secord monument, which was moved from its home on Queen Street during the Downtown Dig.
A recommendation was before the council to direct staff to engage a consultant to find out how best to host a public engagement process to garner recommendations for the monument’s placement.
The report from staff says that the rationale for bringing in a consultant is to manage the process “in a positive manner.”
The monument was erected in memory of Dr. Solomon Secord, who was a descendant of Canadian War of 1812 heroine Laura Secord.
Dr. Secord served in Kincardine as a family doctor for half a century before his passing.
The monument was built a few years after his death, but also shared one fact about him: that he also served as a surgeon for the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, as outlined in the engraving on the tribute:
“To Solomon Secord, 1834-1910. Our family physician for 50 years. This memorial was erected by his loving friends. Served as a surgeon with the Southern Army during the American Civil War. All that lived he loved, and without regard for fee or reward, he did his work for love of his work and for love of his fellows.”
During the discussion regarding inviting a consultant for how to best approach public engagement, Deputy Mayor Andrea Clarke said it was important to bring in a third-party facilitator because it would help lay the groundwork that the municipality could use going forward when dealing with any aspect under the umbrella of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
“The recommendation about having an external consultant, for me, is key, because for me it really isn’t a motion where I’m interested in necessarily having policies and procedures developed out of this, whilst I appreciate that may be a by-product. My concern with equity, diversity, and inclusion is that it’s so dynamic, that policies and procedures are somewhat static. And really and truly they propel those in power at that time and their agendas, and history has shown us that policies and procedures in and of itself can be oppressive in its nature. What I’m far more interested in is public engagement on the issue, particularly that of inclusivity and what the public wants to see in terms of this municipality.”
She says it would be an opportunity to affect future strategic planning in all aspects of the municipality, which includes ensuring that plans for parks and recreation were accessible to everyone as well.
She advised that her fellow council members look beyond the $15,000 cost to hire a consultant, as well as the conversation about the monument itself, saying, “For those who have looked at it as simply transactional, that this is about the monument and it’s going to cost this amount, I think a larger picture has been missed. The monument is going to be a byproduct of what we determine for the larger and more important conversation is how we as a municipality see equity, diversity, and inclusivity. I hope that as we go forward we’ll understand the value of that, and that will help us make the decisions, and the challenging decisions, but only once we’ve had those challenging conversations.”
The granite monument was moved from its original spot in front of the library during the reconstruction that took place in downtown Kincardine over the summer, and because of the work that’s been completed, it can’t move back to its original space.
Municipal staff say it can be moved close to where it used to be located, but not its exact spot.
Staff were previously directed by council to complete a report with recommendations related to options for public engagement regarding the monument.