The COVID-19 pandemic has put all parties on hold, including celebrations for local grads.
Secondary schools are forced to think outside the box this year to honour their graduating classes during unprecedented times where large gatherings have been banned by the province to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
With that in mind, a City of Vernon councillor pitched the idea of reviving the long-standing tradition of tagging Suicide Hill.
Coun. Brian Quiring told his councillor colleagues Monday, May 25, he was approached by a member of the public with the idea of spray painting names on a portion of 30th Avenue.
“In previous years, way back before I lived here, graduating classed used to paint their names on Suicide Hill,” Quiring said. “This year, (students) are apparently not permitted to take photographs on the steps of the court house and they can’t have graduation.”
Coun. Akbal Mund asked if neighbours should be consulted.
City staff were requested to come back with a report on the proposal for council review at its next meeting June 8.
In neighbouring communities, Enderby’s A.L. Fortune Secondary and Pleasant Valley Secondary in Armstrong were hoping to host a makeshift graduation ceremony at the Starlight Drive-In theatre in Enderby. Unfortunately, Starlight learned it was not exempt from the provincial health officer’s limit of 50-vehicle congregations.
On May 26, A.L. Fortune’s principal Scott Anderson learned the grad events were cancelled and he and his staff are back to the drawing board to plan something else.
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