A fire truck pull to raise money for a veteran-themed crosswalk in Napanee is one step closer to taking place, thanks to an endorsement by the Council of the Town of Greater Napanee.
At Council's regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, a report entitled Executive Services --- Fire Truck Pull --- In Support of Napanee Connect Community Event was presented . Council approved the attendance of the fire truck contingent on appropriate staffing, safety plan, and liability insurance.
According to the report by Fire Chief Shawn Armstrong, Greater Napanee Fire Department member Josh Matson, representing Napanee Connect, submitted a request to the chief asking to use Greater Napanee Fire Department apparatus for a fundraising fire truck pull event on May 3, 2025. Proceeds from this fundraiser will go toward installing a veterans' crosswalk.
The idea for the fire truck pull goes back to a deputation on the same issue presented at the December 10, 2024, Council meeting by Napanee Connect Chairperson Tiffany Lloyd. Reached for comment, Lloyd noted that the location for the crosswalk has not yet been officially determined. Currently, a Pride double crosswalk crosses Market Square on the west side along Centre Street, with the veterans-themed double crosswalk being proposed for the east side of Market Square along John Street.
“There was some initial conversation between all parties that the crosswalks be flipped on the north side so that no matter what side of Town Hall you were walking on, you get to enjoy both of them,” Lloyd explained. “These are initial conversations, and no final decision has been made.”
At the meeting, Armstrong stated that using the fire truck could be supported by the fire department's duties for the day on May 3, 2025, if the department is not otherwise engaged in an emergency response. Once approved, Napanee Connect would be required to submit a safety plan for approval by the fire chief and provide proof of liability insurance, holding the Town of Greater Napanee as an additional insured on the policy held by Napanee Connect.
The Town's Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Matthew Grant, spoke to the report, saying, “One of the things staff is working on is a community events policy and a corporate events policy. In lieu of that policy, when we get requests for the use of Town equipment or facilities and the like --- until that process is in place --- it is either through delegation or staff report that we bring forward a request for use of community equipment. So we have had a request to use a fire truck for a truck pull for a community event [and] in the absence of a policy, we brought that forward for Council's consideration and endorsement."
Clerk Jessica Walters added that Napanee Connect members were unable to attend at the last minute, so staff thought presenting a report would be an appropriate approach, given the absence of a policy.
Councillor Dave Pinnell asked Chief Armstrong what truck would be used and whether there would be enough firefighters at the event to be able to respond if an emergency call came in and the truck was needed.
Armstrong answered that the truck used would be a pumper truck; it would depend on the type of call, he said, but it could undoubtedly leave if an emergency call came in and, depending on the circumstances, it might even be able to return to the pull. "But there's nothing guaranteed, depending on the call type and what it is," he emphasized.
No further questions or discussion occurred, and Mayor Terry Richardson asked for a motion. Deputy Mayor Brian Calver moved that Council receive for information the fire truck pull report; further, that Council approve the attendance of the truck with appropriate staffing, contingent upon the submission of a safety plan and proof of liability insurance of $2 million, naming the Town of Greater Napanee as an additional insured, as deemed acceptable by the fire chief and treasurer. The motion was seconded by Councillor Angela Hicks.
Without any further comments, the motion passed, though it appeared that Councillor Mike Schenk did not vote in favour of the motion. Kingstonist inquired with the Town about an official vote count; Community Engagement and Communications Coordinator Kylie Huffman said she confirmed with Schenk that he did vote in favour, but was merely delayed in raising his hand.
As previously mentioned, the idea of a truck pull to fund the creation of the veterans' crosswalk was first floated in December 2024 when Lloyd made a deputation to the town. After a crosswalk was installed in Belleville, Ontario, in time for Remembrance Day 2024, comments in social networking groups in Napanee expressed frustration that "someone" hadn’t done this in Napanee.
Lloyd said, "I joined the comments with the suggestion that I would do the legwork if people were willing to donate the money in a GoFundMe [crowd funding initiative]." The answer, she said, was the sound of "crickets" --- in other words, silence --- so she and some friends began Napanee Connects with the veterans' crosswalk as a preliminary project.
Greater Napanee Pride, with Lloyd as a member of their board, created a similar project by gathering private and corporate sponsors for the Pride crosswalk in 2023 and a paint refresh for the Pride crosswalk in 2024. Since its installation, Napanee social media groups have hosted several derogatory comments about the Pride crosswalk. Some of the post authors have even suggested that the Pride crosswalk should be painted over in favour of a veterans' crosswalk.
It must be pointed out that Lloyd and members of Napanee Connects are also members of Greater Napanee Pride.
When asked whether Napanee Connect's impetus for fundraising the new veterans' crosswalk was to demonstrate that veterans' and Pride are not mutually exclusive, Lloyd responded, "As the chair of Greater Napanee Connect and the vice-chair of Greater Napanee Pride, I believe that our municipality must be intentionally inclusive. Greater Napanee should be a community that uplifts all of its members. Adding a veterans' crosswalk alongside the existing Pride crosswalk reflects this commitment, demonstrating that we can simultaneously celebrate and recognize multiple important causes."
She continued, "The 2SLGBTQIA+ community and veterans are not in opposition to one another; in fact, many individuals proudly belong to both. We honour and respect those who have fought for the freedoms we enjoy today, and we firmly believe those rights extend to all --- regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, or any other protected status. There is space for both, and having both strengthens our community. As we move forward with the veterans' crosswalk through the fire truck pull fundraiser, we hope the focus remains on respect, unity, and the shared values that make Greater Napanee a place for everyone."
Meetings of the Council of the Town of Greater Napanee can be viewed virtually (or watched afterward) on the Napanee Town Council YouTube channel or attended in person in Council Chambers at Napanee Town Hall, 124 John Street. Further information about Council meetings, including agendas and reports, is available on the Town’s CivicWeb portal.