When it comes to showing off the community’s accomplishments, Renfrew’s sports teams might be doing too well to keep up.
Council used Tuesday’s regular meeting to codify the town’s policy around the handling and display of banners and trophies at the myFM Centre, with Director of Community & Recreation Services Kelly Latendresse explaining that a lack of formal policy has meant a logjam of growing adult and youth sports teams eager to boast without the means to do so.
The new policy limits eligibility to awards won by not-for-profit teams and community organizations that utilize Renfrew facilities as a home facility, as well as the Renfrew Wolves, with a priority for championships over “finalist” awards.
The displays will last anywhere between one and three years from the end of the team’s season, depending on the significance of the achievement, before being given back to their respective organization, unless they ask for the town to maintain the display for longer.
While most of council was on board, representative Andrew Dick would counter that all awards be displayed for a year before being handed back, calling it “common sense.”
He also raised concern about a provision that he said would have required trophy winners to pay for placement if there was no space, which Latendresse clarified was only if those teams wanted to install and maintain their own separate display at the myFM Centre.
The policy also gives teams the chance to consolidate their significant achievements onto a single “master banner” that would cover a particular age group’s accomplishments in chronological order.
(written by Kasey Egan)