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THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF WINDSOR
POLICY
Service
Area:
Chief Administrative Office
Policy No.:
Department:
Approval Date:
Division:
Cultural Affairs Office
Approved By:
CR49/2008
Effective Date:
Subject:
Plaques, Monuments and Memorials Policy
Procedure
Ref.:
Pages:
Replaces:
Date:
1. POLICY
From time to time requests are received from individuals and organizations for
permission to place plaques, monuments or memorials to an individual, organization or
event on City property. The City of Windsor is committed to protecting the park and open
spaces of the riverfront while providing opportunities for appropriately designed plaques,
monuments and memorials that honour an individual, organization or event beneficial to
the greater good of the community. This policy will serve as a guide for any monuments,
memorials or plaques it may wish to place in parks or public areas within its jurisdiction.
2. PURPOSE
The Plaques, Monuments and Memorials Policy shall provide a consistent and timely
process for the City of Windsor to identify and formally recognize significant local
events, people, and physical features or structures through recognition, contribution, or
heritage recognition plaques. This policy shall be considered in conjunction with/as part
of the Naming/Renaming/Dedication of Municipal Property, Buildings and Park
Elements and will not deal with the designation of heritage properties as defined under
the scope of the Windsor Heritage Committee.
3. SCOPE
This program will not duplicate or replace donor recognition plaques or other recognition
programs initiated by other organizations that may include but are not exclusive to the
Ontario Heritage Trust, Historic Sites and Monuments Committee of Canada, etc.
4. RESPONSIBILITY
4.1 The Manager of Cultural Affairs shall be responsible for: considering public
requests, researching, identifying, and making recommendations to Council
or the appropriate Council appointed committee approval.
4.2 The Manager of Cultural Affairs will work with other departments and
partners (as appropriate) to design, acquire, and install approved plaques,
monuments and memorials.
5. GOVERNING RULES AND REGULATIONS
5.1 Memorials and Monuments
5.1.1
Donors of memorials or monuments are asked to consider the primary
uses of public open space in their request for a location or suitable site.
While appropriate memorials or monuments may enrich a park experience
for park users, public open space is also a very precious commodity, and
monuments, memorials and plaques should be carefully reviewed to
balance these two public benefits to protect the greater good.
5.1.2
The quality of timelessness should be considered in the significance of the
individual, community or event being memorialized. Memorial or
monument proposals should represent the values of the community and be
mindful of future generations.
5.1.3
Memorial or monument proposals honouring individuals or a personal
event should be represented in a form that has a broader community
interest and moves the viewer to a special experience. Examples such as
community parks, landscaped gardens and plazas, sculpture and art works,
plaques about history or the environment, poetry, fountains, park benches,
site furnishings, etc.
5.1.4
It is recognized that a particular location may reach a saturation point and
it would then be appropriate to consider limitations or a moratorium of
future memorial or monument installations at a particular location or area.
5.1.5
Maintenance concerns should be a primary consideration, with adequate
provision made for continued future maintenance. In all cases, permanent
memorials or monuments should be made from durable material that will
stand up over time.
5.1.6
Unless otherwise agreed, the donors of the proposed memorial are
required to pay for design, manufacturing, installation and maintenance to
ensure adequate quality of care for the memorial or monument.
5.1.7
The City may consider contributing funds to a community monument only
when the memorial or monument is for a broad community purpose that
marks an event that has broadly affected the community.
5.1.8
Improvements made the riverfront or in other areas of the City become the
property of the City of Windsor.
5.2 Plaques: New Structures
5.2.1
Plaques to commemorate the opening of a new municipal structure or to
recognize a public-private or public-public partnership will be, at a
minimum, in both official languages and contain the following
information:
The City of Windsor Coat of Arms or other Council approved
corporate symbol
The name of the project
An overall statement of the project
Name of Mayor and Council who approved the project
Name of Mayor and Council who opened the project upon
completion
Recognition of a Steering Committee or other Board involved in
the project
Name of the agency(s) involved
Lead Construction Company and Lead Architects
Recognition line "All dedicated City Employees". City staff will
be recognized individually at a Council meeting subsequent to the
plaque unveiling.
Dedication date
Logos of government agencies that funded the project, if any.
5.3 Points of Interest/Commemorative/Historical Plaques
5.3.1
Proposed plaques shall be of interest to the residents of the City of
Windsor.
5.3.2
The subject of the plaque shall possess an enduring quality.
5.3.3
A plaque may commemorate a person or group of persons, an event,
significant date or an existing or former structure or physical feature.
5.3.4
The proposed subject shall be unique, or at least rare, in the Windsor and
in addition, or alternatively, an early example of its kind. Being a first
shall not alone be sufficient to confer significance.
5.3.5
The plaque shall contribute to the promotion and public awareness of its
subject, which shall be appropriate for interpretation by a plaque.
5.3.6
The subject of the plaque shall not already have been commemorated
either in whole or in part by a nearby plaque or monument that is readily
accessible to the public.
5.3.7
Any individual or group to be commemorated shall be, in the judgement
of the Manager of Cultural Affairs, easily recognizable to the majority of
those likely to view the plaque, or, in the case of those long deceased,
shall have been so to their contemporaries, and significant enough to merit
such an honour. This significance would entail one or more of their
having:
i)
Made an important contribution to the life of the City of
Windsor;
ii)
Been pioneers;
iii)
Been distinguished in a profession or calling,
iv)
Been distinguished in public service;
v)
Benevolence or an act of bravery;
vi)
Been prominently involved in a significant event or events.
5.3.8
Events to be subjects of a heritage plaque should normally have occurred
at least 30 years ago, and structures or other physical features should
normally have existed for 30 years up to the present, or before their
disappearance.
5.3.9
Events for Recognition Plaques can be current and reflect a significant
contribution to an event or by an individual or group
5.3.10
Donor recognition plaques are excepted from this policy but require the
approval of the Manager of Cultural Affairs as to content and form.
5.3.11
Proposed plaques should comply with the City of Windsor's current Sign
By-Law as well as any policies affecting the development of any area in
the City that is under the auspices of another policy or advisory
committee.
5.4 Plaque Description
Plaques erected for the City of Windsor shall be consistent in size, shape, wording,
materials, and mounting technique:
5.4.1 Plaques shall be sized appropriately to their location.
5.4.2
Plaques shall be rectangular in shape.
5.4.3
Interpretive or descriptive plaques shall have a maximum of up to150
words in the body of the text.
5.4.4
Plaques shall be cast out of bronze, granite or as identified in specific
master planning documents such as the Central Riverfront Improvement
Plan, etc., or in the case of City Centre Heritage Interpretive Signs, as
currently designed.
5.4.5
Plaques shall be suitably mounted, either vertically or at an appropriate
angle.
5.4.6
Plaques shall include the current City of Windsor Coat of Arms or logo.
6. Approval Process
Applications for a plaque, monument or memorial that are not City initiated projects shall
be submitted in accordance with the following procedure:
6.1 Applicants must submit a letter to the City Clerk that outlines in sufficient
detail the main purpose of the plaque proposal and should include
architectural drawings, elevations and proposed location for the plaque,
monument or memorial. The letter must include evidence from background
research on the subject indicating the relevance for a plaque, monument or
memorial.
6.2 The City Clerk will forward the applicant's letter and request to the Manager
of Cultural Affairs.
6.3 Following due consideration and consultation with appropriate Council
appointed committees the Manager of Cultural Affairs will make
recommendations as part of a staff report that will be forwarded to the
Striking Committee of Council for consideration which will make a
recommendation to City Council for final approval.
6.4 Any application received throughout the year will be subject to the City's
normal budget process. Approved plaques, memorials or monuments will be
included in the subsequent budget year estimates unless a sponsoring
organization or individual is prepared to partner on the full or partial costs of
the plaque, memorial or monument production and installation.
6.5 Should a plaque, be approved, the Manager of Cultural Affairs shall move
forward with the recommendation of the final design, location for erection
and fabrication of the plaque, memorial or monument. Appropriate time
frames for the creation and installation will be determined if not outlined in
the letter of application.
6.6 Should a plaque, memorial or monument proposal not be approved, Council
may make a recommendation to the applicant referring the applicant to a
body that may be more appropriate to recognize the subject.
7.
Plaques, Memorials or Monuments of National, International or Provincial
Significance
City Council shall reserve the right to recommend plaques, memorials or monuments to
the Ontario Heritage Foundation and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
or in concert with United States Municipal, County or State partners when the subject is
deemed to be of national, international or provincial significance.