Veterans crosswalk to be installed on York Street in time for Remembrance Day – thanks to advocacy of dedicated locals

Stratford will be getting a memorial veterans crosswalk this year in time for Remembrance Day – and residents have the Army Navy Air Force Unit 261, residents Linda Scammell, Jodi Nakluski, Nancy Groenestege and City of Stratford staff to thank for it.

CONNOR LUCZKA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Many Stratford residents have wondered why the Festival City does not have a memorial veterans crosswalk, a custom-painted crosswalk honouring the lives and dedication of this country’s veterans, but it was Linda Scammell and Jodi Nakluski who decided to do something about it.

Nakluski, Scammell’s daughter, explained that their family has a long history with the armed forces. Both Scammell’s parents were veterans, as were her uncles. Additionally, Scammell has been a member of the Army Navy Air Force Unit 261 for 39 years, serving on its executive board and serving lunches and dinners out of its Lorne Avenue location for much of that time.

One day, Scammell had seen a post on Facebook about a veterans crosswalk in another community, which got her daughter thinking.

“Why can’t Stratford have one?” Nakluski told the Times. “…You see very similar crosswalks everywhere. And I said to mom, ‘Well, why don't we find a local artist that will design something?’”

Scammell and Nakluski, on behalf of the Army Navy, reached out to Nancy Groenestege, a prominent local artist, who worked with her network to design a crosswalk befitting of Stratford’s legacy. At first they considered a stock crosswalk piece, but Scammell and Nakluski wanted something that would stand out and reflect this region’s storied past. They wanted the Perth Regiment symbol incorporated in the design, though if it is to be maintained year after year such a complicated design wouldn’t be feasible.

Additionally, there were other considerations to work through, as Groenestege explained.

“You want everybody to feel content about it,” Groenestege said. “You don't want somebody feeling like, ‘I really don't feel comfortable walking on the Canadian Flag’ or ‘I don't feel comfortable walking on poppies, right?’

“In the beginning, I was just doing a bunch of rough thumbnails, sketching some ideas out, and then I started watching some old videos online of actual footage of the war – and then took some screenshots of it. I captured one of these three soldiers that were coming out of the ground, out of a dugout somewhere, and then I just worked the sketch off of those.”

In addition to the three soldiers, the finalized design displays planes flying overhead and a field of red leaves, reminiscent of the Canadian icon though different enough that pedestrians shouldn’t feel bad about treading on them. Groenestege explained that they decided to design the piece so that the best view is from the street, though made sure that at whatever angle the image would be clear and noticeable – and that the crosswalk can still function safely.

“The city, they were all really good about it,” Groenestege said. “They were friendly about it. Nobody was in any way negative about anything. So it's just wonderful.”

On Oct. 14, Stratford city council approved the installation at the infrastructure, transportation and safety committee meeting. The crosswalk will be painted close to Remembrance Day, so that it is fresh for this year’s ceremonies at the Cenotaph, at the York Street and Veterans Drive crossing. The location was picked due to its proximity to the war memorial and for when the Remembrance Day ceremonies occur, though both Scammell and Nakluski clarified that it will be a permanent, year-round fixture that will be maintained regularly.

Since Groenestege is fabricating the stencils and donating them to the city free of charge, the annual costs to upkeep are negligible. Scammell and Nakluski estimated that this year the only cost is $300 for the paint, and that the Army Navy will supply the paint itself this year.

As of press time, the final design has not been painted yet – though there are many people eagerly waiting for when it is.

“There's a lot of people that are excited, that want to be there when we paint it,” Nakluski said. “I'm sure when it gets done that day, there'll be a lot of people just sitting there.”