By Chad Ingram

Published May 12 2016

Minden Hills township is hopingresidents who have banners from the Minden Festival of Banners fromyears past will donate them to the township for installation in thevillage.

For several years the Festival ofBanners committee ran a program in which banners were painted byresidents both adults and children and installed on polesthroughout the village. The township assisted with the hanging andremoval of the banners. At the end of the summer season banners wereauctioned off the proceeds going to supplies for the following year.

“We received notice from them nearthe end of March that they are unable to continue for now and in thefuture” community services director Mark Coleman told Minden Hillscouncillors at a May 12 meeting. “We do have some banners insupply but not enough.”

There are 72 banner brackets throughoutthe village.

Coleman suggested the township couldbuy generic banners or in the future run a photo contest where thewinning photos are printed on banners to be hung in the village.

Councillors were adamant that bannersbe hung this year.

“I think the banners have become animportant part of who we are” said Deputy-reeve Cheryl Murdoch.“For 2016 we need those banner brackets filled.”

“I like the idea of putting somethingin the paper and having people bring back their banners” saidCouncillor Pam Sayne. “If we go with generic banners we lose touchwith our community in some sense.”

Councillor Jean Neville suggestedgeneric banners could be purchased as a contingency plan.

Reeve Brent Devolin said he wasprepared to support the plan.

“If we need to spend a bit of moneyto produce some . . . I'm prepared to support that kind of move”Devolin said.

Resident Sue Tiffin has volunteered tohelp Coleman co-ordinate the project.