Does Kingston Deserved a Walk of Fame?
Last week, City Council passed a highly contested motion to rename the lower half of Barack Street to celebrate Kingston’s own, The Tragically Hip. Amongst the various other commemorative proposals brought forward, Council also approved the establishment of a Walk of Fame, which will effectively serve to recognize other notable Kingstonians. While details including funding and location ate still fuzzy, the most important aspect of this future landmark depend upon the criteria and process for selecting honourees. The Limestone City has numerous deserving candidates from various segments of society including recording artists, actors, writers, athletes and historically significant political figures. Accordingly, this week’s poll asks:
Who should be we place on the Walk of Fame after the Hip?
- Don Cherry (35%, 51 Votes)
- Sir John A MacDonald (22%, 32 Votes)
- John Matheson (18%, 27 Votes)
- Someone Else. (13%, 19 Votes)
- Bryan Adams (6%, 9 Votes)
- Simon Whitfield (4%, 6 Votes)
- Peter Milliken (2%, 3 Votes)
- Rupert Davies (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 147
Loading ...It’s almost a given that the Hip will be the first group represented on the Walk of Fame, but what about future inductees? Should our Walk of Fame be a shrine to celebrities of pop culture, or are local philanthropists and political do-gooders equally deserving of representation. And what should we do with the likes of Avril, Ryan Malcolm and those who were local residents only during their post-secondary years? What criteria for selection would you like to see the City adopt? Should there be a limited number of inductees aloud in the early years? Is City Council or another working group best suited to decide who should be immortalized in concrete, or are citizen generated petitions the best way to go? Drop off your thoughts below.
Thanks to Alamagordo for today’s photo.
I can't wait to see "Springer Walk of Fame"!
Hmmm … I find this whole concept of a Kingston Walk of Fame a bit sad if not somewhat pathetic, self indulgent and possibly very divisive. The Canada Walk of Fame criteria suggests that the "Nominee should represent the Essence of Canadian identity". Peace loving – diverse – harmonious and socially responsible are among other qualities listed. If we are to follow that criteria Don Cherrys' nomination could be in for a rough ride. John Mathesons' credentials on the other hand are beyond reproach.
I have to agree. Do we really have enough notable people to justify an entire walk of fame? And, even if the answer is yes, does having a walk of fame that identifies historical figures and novelists really make sense in front of our arena/music venue? If we were teeming with famous musicians and athletes, I could see how it would make sense but since we're not, I think the money would be better spent on, say, fixing all our potholes. The fact that Don Cherry won this week's poll speaks volumes about our inductee options…
Hmmm … I find this whole concept of a Kingston Walk of Fame a bit sad if not somewhat pathetic, self indulgent and possibly very divisive. The Canada Walk of Fame criteria suggests that the "Nominee should represent the Essence of Canadian identity". Peace loving – diverse – harmonious and socially responsible are among other qualities listed. If we are to follow that criteria Don Cherrys' nomination could be in for a rough ride. John Mathesons' credentials on the other hand are beyond reproach.