Veterans given their place
New Hometown Heroes banners on display in Truro
TRURO, N.S. – Wayne Talbot has a very special Hometown Heroes banner outside his home; it honours his father, Lloyd, who was a Second World War veteran.
“He wouldn’t talk about the war much,” Wayne said. “He told me one story. They were in a combat zone, under heavy fire. There were only three or four of them and they hid out in some clay ovens. That was how they survived.
“Other than that, he didn’t talk about the war, and that was very common.”
The banner in memory of Lloyd Talbot is one of several new ones hanging along the streets of Truro this year.
“Hometown Heroes started in 2015, with 12 banners,” said Megan Burgess, special events and culture coordinator for the Town of Truro. “Now we have almost 60.”
Nineteen of the new banners are part of a special project spearheaded by Nolan Borden.
“I got the idea last year when I was driving through Millbrook and saw their banners, and then saw them in Brookfield,” he said. “I thought, ‘Why couldn’t we do that in the local black communities?’ I made some calls and it went from there. It’s been a huge success. There are a lot more than I thought there would be this year, and I know there will be more next year.”
Some local organizations helped finance a few of the banners, and they can now be found along West Prince, Young and Ford streets.
“A lot of veterans lived on West Prince Street,” said Borden. “I can understand why families want them nearby. I know if I had parents involved, I would want one hanging outside of my place.”
One of the new banners on Inglis Place honours well known veteran Herb Peppard, who died earlier this year.
Banners cost $100 and can be purchased through Truro Parks and Recreation. The town hangs them shortly before Remembrance Day each year. They’re made by Colchester Print, and the business donates a high-quality paper copy to the family.
Most banners measure 18-in. by 36-in., with those on Inglis Place being 18-in. by 44-in. to fit the hanger arms along that street.
“It’s great to see this doing so well,” said Burgess. “We’ve filled the hangers we have in place so we have to look to see where the next best fit is so that more can be added.”
Banners went up Monday and come down Nov. 12.