Skip to content

Centre Wellington council approved the installation of 'Home of Patrick Anderson' signs

To be installed along the township’s Highway 6 connecting link which extends from Tower Street to Sideroad 19

CENTRE WELLINGTON - Centre Wellington will be one of the first, if not the first, municipalities to honour a parasport athlete with a "Home of" sign.

Centre Wellington council approved the installation of the Patrick Anderson signs during its Wednesday’s meeting. 

The signs will be installed along the township’s Highway 6 connecting link which extends from Tower Street to Sideroad 19. 

Back in February, three Elora Public School Grade 7 students, Lily Brown, Helena Kogen and Mya Hunt, requested council to honour local paralympian Patrick Anderson by putting two highway signs at the north and south end of Fergus. 

During Wednesday’s virtual meeting, Colin Baker, township’s managing director of infrastructure services, explained to council the initial proposal was to install the signs at the population signs at both the north and south ends of Fergus.

However, the population signs belong to the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) and would require MTO’s approval to be modified or added to. Township staff then decided to install them at the township’s Highway 6 connecting link as it is within the township’s jurisdiction.

The township's Highway 6 connecting link extends from Tower Street at MacQueen Boulevard to St. David Street at Sideroad 19.

“We also had some comments on the sign design and the use of colours; maybe going for a blue background since red is used for more of an emergency to alert the drivers, whereas blue suggests more of an information sign,” explained Baker at the meeting. 

The materials, dimensions, installation specifications, and locations of the signs will be reviewed and approved by staff over the coming weeks. The sign installation will require a township road occupancy permit to facilitate the installation by a third party contractor. 

Andy Speers, the three students’ teacher at Elora Public School, has requested the approval and installation of the signs be done before the unveiling ceremony on May 16. 

“We are hopeful Patrick Anderson will be available to attend the ceremony before he is required to report to his National Wheelchair Basketball Association team in New York City. Staff will inform the council of the unveiling ceremony details once they are confirmed,” said Speers. 

Speers explained he put up an idea factory within the school’s student leadership group, and Lily Brown came up with the idea and Helena Kogen and Mya Hunt jumped on board with the project. 

“We don’t always get to do fun stuff like this, so this is really exciting for us as a council. Thanks to Mr. Andy Speers for quarterbacking and supporting your students on this project; it’s great to see this kind of involvement in our community,” said Mayor Kelly Linton.

The two signs will be supplied by a local sign vendor and a local contractor has offered to donate their labour and materials to install the signs. There will be no costs to the township for the installation of the sign. 


Angelica Babiera, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

About the Author: Angelica Babiera, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Angelica Babiera is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering Wellington County. The LJI is funded by the Government of Canada
Read more


Comments