The municipality of Tantramar is proposing to put an ultimate cap on the number of banners that it puts up on light poles each year, setting the total number at 245, with the opportunity for three different installation periods each year between May and November.
The cap on the number of banners is part of a policy proposed to council on Monday by Active Living and Culture director Matt Pryde. The policy also sets some other parameters for the official Tantramar banner program, including that groups are to be responsible for storing their own banners during their downtime, and that the municipality cannot guarantee specific locations for specific banners.
The idea for a banner policy was suggested in February, after council voted to increase the number of veterans memorial banners it would put up in the coming years.
The veterans banner program was started by Sackville resident Garth Zwicker in 2016. The banners feature photos of local veterans and are purchased by family members, with arrangements for design and printing handled by Zwicker.
In its first year, Zwicker printed just 16 banners. By the fall of 2024, Tantramar staff were putting up 223 banners in Sackville and Dorchester. Another six banners are in place in Fort Folly, independent of the Tantramar banner program.
Mike Gillespie has assisted Zwicker in the last few years of the banner program, and was at Monday’s meeting. Gillespie told CHMA afterwards he believes the proposed cap on the number of banners is reasonable.
The limit is, “understandable and acceptable, no doubt,” said Gillespie, noting that the number of new requests from families has been dropping off in recent years, with just six coming in from both communities this year.
Gillespie expressed concern that other banner programs may compete for space on Sackville and Dorchester light poles in future. “My concern would be with the limit of 245, if other banners from other organizations come into play, then what happens on a priority basis? I just want to assure that come come fall, that our banners actually all go up and they come down at the appropriate time,” said Gillespie.
The new policy doesn’t give priority to the veterans banner program, but says that Tantramar staff will review requests to participate and consider, “significance to and benefit to Tantramar and its citizens and significance of event that banner celebrates.” The policy also says that, “preference will be given to smaller scale installations and new participants.”
Though its not specifically mentioned in the policy, Pryde told council that the veterans banner program (started by Zwicker and endorsed by the Sackville Legion) would take priority.
“Of course, you know, staff, when we’re reviewing them, would take into consideration the history there as well,” said Pryde. “So we’re not going to take a banner program that’s been active for eight years and tell them that they’ve lost their place because somebody new has come in. So really it would be up to us to manage that.”
Pryde added he does not expect an influx of demand for pole banner space as a result of the new policy, and pointed out that the policy outlined three different installation periods each year.
Gillespie says that since the rate of requests from families to create new banners is slowing down, he expects that the program may also stop creating new banners once it reaches 245, instead of rotating them from year to year, or retiring some of the banners. Though he’s waiting to consult with Zwicker before announcing a plan.
“I expect when the number hits that number, we’ll probably just leave it at that,” said Gillespie.
Gillespie also noted the amount of work the banner program is for municipal staff and took a moment to point out that municipal staff go above and beyond with the program.
“It is a big job to put them up, take them down, and to store them,” said Gillespie. “But I have to give them credit… when [Tantramar staff] take down the banners, they actually clean them,” he says, “which is, you know, respectful.”
Tantramar’s new banner policy is expected back for council approval at its next regular meeting on June 10, 2025.
