News on Welland’s LED screen? Stay tuned
ALLAN BENNER
Announcements are pending about the Rose City’s jumbo LED video screen, as well as plans to use it to broadcast the Tragically Hip’s last ever concert outside Welland Civic Square.
Welland purchasing manager Adam Beres said a media release will be issued in the near future about the $100,000 sign, purchased jointly by Welland Hydro and the city.
He said the sign, manufactured by LED Sign Supply in Calgary, has yet to be delivered.
“It’s not here yet. It’s being shipped from the manufacturer to an installation company and they have to prepare it for the install,” Beres said.
The 11-by-20-foot colour LED screen will then be assembled by the installer off-site, disassembled and transported to Welland where it’s reassembled and installed. “Stay tuned. There is something you’re going to see,” Beres advised.
A few weeks ago, Ward 6 Coun. Jim Larouche suggested broadcasting the Aug. 20 Tragically Hip concert on that 220-square-foot screen, to be mounted on the tower at city hall, and collecting donations for the Canadian Cancer Society as the band is playing.
It will be the iconic Canadian rock band’s last ever performance, since singer Gord Downie has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
Asked if the sign will be ready for that show, Beres said “that is also media release material.”
Despite the short timeframe, city staff are working out details in the hopes of being able to organize the fundraiser.
Mayor Frank Campion said he was recently speaking to Welland chief administrative officer Gary Long about the screen.
“The indication was that they expected it would be up in time,” Campion said. “I think there’s a group of people at city hall organizing this for the Tragically Hip concert.”
However, he said there’s “always the possibility that there could be a glitch somewhere along the way of installing it, or testing it.”
Although the city has had some criticism about the purchase of the screen, which will be used to promote city events as well as provide income through paid advertising, Campion said the idea of using the screen to raise funds while broadcasting the Tragically Hip concert has also generated a lot of excitement in the community.
“I have been getting comments on that, absolutely,” he said. “I think people are really keen to have the Tragically Hip broadcast at city hall, and also they’re interested that we’re raising funds for cancer as well.”
Welland is one of several Niagara communities with similar plans.
Although Canadian Cancer Society Niagara fundraising coordinator Michelle Begin said she has yet to hear from Welland regarding the city’s plans, she said Grimsby is planning a community fundraising event while broadcasting the concert, and Scotiabank Centre in Niagara Falls is collecting donations from people purchasing tickets for its broadcast presentation.
At both those events, she said, local cancer society representatives will be on site to provide information about services the organization offers and to collect additional donations.
Canadian Cancer Society branches across the country teamed up to create the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research, and any money raised through the community events will be put towards that fund, “specifically for that research that is near and dear to him,” Begin said.