Brockville council briefs: Sabre Jet fix, social media statement
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Sabre Jet fix approved
Brockville council on Tuesday gave final approval to restoration work on the Sabre Jet war memorial on Blockhouse Island.
Council backed the recommendation of its general committee for a contract with Ottawa-based Bulldog Commercial Restoration and Waterproofing Inc., for $60,040, to complete an in-situ restoration and reinforcement of the plane’s concrete pedestal.
The recommendation was a follow-up to a report last November on the long-awaited restoration project.
The Golden Hawks Sabre Jet was donated to the city on June 23, 1968, in memory of Canadian air crews who lost their lives, and has since become a fixture of Brockville’s waterfront.
But in 2017, the council of the day had to contemplate the idea of taking the plane down because of its level of deterioration, prompting community members to band together to keep the monument standing. Their efforts were successful – council ultimately approved the first phase of the restoration project, which included a fresh coat of paint for the aging aircraft, completed by local artist Dave Sheridan in the summer of 2018.
The second phase, to be funded by community donations, includes a memorial plaque in honour of of the 90 local airmen who died during the Second World War, as well as enhanced landscaping around the plane – a surface around the jet, a sidewalk, and several memorial benches to be built out of the stone of the former Trinity Anglican Church, which was demolished in 2018.
The motion approved by council authorizes staff to proceed with planning for that next phase.
Negative social media statement OK’d
Brockville’s city website will now have a statement urging online commenters to think about their words.
City council on Tuesday approved without discussion a recommendation for the posting of a statement on negative social media use to the city’s website.
The statement will begin: “Have your say, the respectful way….”
It goes on to note that some people on social media post inaccurate information, whereas city staffers are “bound by legislation regarding the protection of privacy, and as such are unable to comment on social media with details regarding specific files or individuals involved in private confidential matters.”
It adds that some people who are dissatisfied with their interactions with the city vent their frustrations on social media.
“When social media posts are created in a respectful manner, opportunities for further discussion and reflection can be created, but when posts are created in a disrespectful, inaccurate and slanderous manner, it can be incredibly harmful,” the statement continues.
It asks people to consider how they would feel if someone posted negative comments about them; what outcome they are hoping to achieve; and whether the information they are sharing is truthful.
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