Consultant to guide working group on future of Wilmot’s Prime Ministers Path

Wilmot will be hiring a consultant to help guide a working group that will reopen public discussion on the future of the township’s Prime Ministers Path.

“The long-term legacy of doing it right will be a process that involves everyone,” said Coun. Stewart Cressman. “We then have a recipe or something in our tool box that we can bring out to address issues we’re confronted with or future council’s are confronted with going down the road.”

Nine bronze statues of Canada’s former leaders on display outside Baden’s Castle Kilbride were put into storage following protests that erupted in 2020.

In January, Ward 2 Coun. Kris Wilkinson introduced a motion to come up with a permanent plan for the statues that remain in storage at a cost of $661 a month.

Staff brought back reports outlining three options including a referendum, as requested by Wilkinson, and the possibility of taking public consultation on the matter back to Square 1.

Council has opted to go with staff’s recommendation to establish a balanced working group as recommended by the First People’s Group consultant that previously undertook public engagement, a process hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic but endorsed by the township’s previous council.

Current council members said they wanted to step away from that process and start fresh.

“I just want to make sure that it goes out to everybody so that we have a variety of different viewpoints, so we can make sure that when we do get to a decision, it actually encompasses the entire township or as much of it as we can,” said Coun. Lillianne Dunstall.

“It’s going to be very important to get the right consultant that has a lot of knowledge and expertise on how to lead those conversations in the community,” said chief administrative officer Sharon Chambers. “I certainly have heard from members of council since I’ve been here about wanting to really have those smaller focus grouptype conversations where people can feel safe in sharing diverse opinions.”

Several delegates spoke in favour of reopening public engagement.

“This project is big,” said Andrew Kipp. “We stand in Wilmot Township at the centre of a national discussion. We didn’t intend to, I don’t think, but here we are. Our discussion is our identity as a country,” Kipp said. “How do we express that and deal with all the messy parts of our history?”

The criteria will come back to council to ensure it aligns with its vision and a member of council should be on the evaluation team, Chambers suggested.

‘‘ Our discussion is our identity as a country. How do we express that and deal with all the messy parts of our history?

ANDREW KIPP DELEGATE