KAGAWONG—Billings Township council had a lawyer’s written response on hand concerning the wording on a series of 35 historical plaques to be located in the township, and has now given its go ahead to have the plaques erected in areas around the township. As reported previously, members of the Billings Connections Trail Stewardship committee had voiced their strong displeasure with Billings council (at its previous meeting) for foregoing final approval on the wording of a series of 35 historical plaques to be located in the township until they were looked at by a municipal lawyer.
Billings Mayor Austin Hunt told council at a meeting Monday evening, “we have a letter from our lawyer, G. Stephen Watt, on the issue. Mr. Watt stated in the letter, “further to your instructions below and our telephone conversation on Friday, I have reviewed the draft wording for the historical and interpretive plaques. I do not believe that the current wordings create any legal liabilities for the municipality.”
“Certainly, there are some statements made in site numbers 7 and 10 which advance a particular opinion on the nature of the history being presented,” wrote Mr. Watt, “but provided council is in agreement with what is being said, the wording as presented does not create any legal problems going forward, in my opinion. Any discussion by council concerning the acceptance or revision of the draft text is really a political exercise rather than a legal one.”
Councillor Nora Bath-Haring told the meeting, “my understanding is that the plaques are to educate visitors and the local population on the history of Manitoulin Island and Billings. In Ontario, all education materials, text books, academic papers and more are edited and reviewed for content and wording before they can go forward for public viewing.”
“In this case we had 35 plaques that we felt needed to be reviewed before they were put out in the public,” said Ms. Bath-Haring. “I see no concerns with the wording of the plaque that need to delay their being put up any further. If anything (getting an opinion from the township lawyer) adds more credibility to this having been reviewed. That is why I am okay with council passing a motion to allow the plaques be put up.”
“They will be going up very shortly,” stated Mayor Hunt.
Council passed a motion, unanimously, to approve the wording on the plaques to be put on the trails as presented.
