Wallaceburg is now home to the very first municipally funded public photo installation in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.
The municipality said the structure of a heart made by hands located at the L.O. Stonehouse Bridge in downtown Wallaceburg is intended to be used as a photo backdrop for residents and visitors who are soaking up the sights in the core.
The public can take photos and tag the municipality on social media when posting the photos by using the tag @municck.
“Public spaces are the heart of our community,” said Mayor Darrin Canniff. “By incorporating unique installations like this one, we not only beautify our community but also create interesting locations that bring people together. We are excited to unveil more of these throughout Chatham-Kent over the next year.”
Municipal officials noted this initiative is part of a larger effort to reinvigorate the local landscape by creating spaces that beautify the community and allow residents to enjoy unique installations and take photos.
"It's very cool, you got to get out there. They're about twelve feet long and made of stainless steel. The whole idea is to get out there, particularly at night, the walking bridge is lit up at night and you can take pictures with that and it's a cool spot. Actually, in the next week or two we are going to be doing downtown Chatham," said the mayor. "I hope to have about a dozen of them across the municipality in the next year. People will come down to Chatham-Kent to all of the very cool photo op spots that we have all across the community."
The installation and selfie station was funded by councillor ward funds and sponsored by Hydro One.
The Councillor Ward Fund Program provides each ward councillor with $25,000 annually and the mayor with $125,000 that can be applied to projects the ward councillor or mayor believe are priorities within their ward, or in the case of the mayor, throughout Chatham-Kent.
The Community Benefit Contribution of $1 million per year for ten years from Hydro One is to be solely used for recreational capital projects and art and cultural purposes within Chatham-Kent.