Look up next time you're in Downtown Guelph and you'll likely see the face of a local veteran.
A series of 124 commemorative banners, each highlighting a veteran with a ties to the community, have been hung in the downtown.
The Honour Our Veterans Banner Program is organized by the Guelph Legion with support from the Downtown Guelph Business Association. Each banner is sponsored by a local business, group or family with a connection to the veteran pictured.
Sam Jewell, operations manager at Downtown Guelph Business Association says the initiative is an important way to put faces to names.
"These aren't just a number of casualties or figures and statistics about war, these are real people all with Guelph connections," Jewell said. "I think it's a really great way to educate people and recognize the contributions that the people of Guelph made."
The commemorative banners will fly from downtown light posts until just after Remembrance Day, says Jewell. They'll return next year and the one after that. At the end of the five-year initiative, banners will be given to sponsors to keep, says Jewell.
More information on the veterans depicted on the banners can be found here.
