Friends Of Arden Unveil New Sign

Jul 04, 2013

Holiday travelers passing by the Arden Road and Highway 7 may have noticed a lively gathering there on June 29. Gordon Wright sparked off the celebrations with his bagpipes as the Friends of Arden sign committee, which was headed up by Gord Brown and included Sarah Hale, Carol Morris, Gloria and Peter Smiley, and David Daski, unveiled the second of two local signs in their efforts to place the hamlet of Arden on the map.

The new sign, which highlights community information and businesses, is located just behind the larger Arden sign, which was the first phase of the local signage project. The new business and services sign is located on a beautifully landscaped piece of land that was donated and landscaped by Glen Matson, and also features concrete benches and planters donated by Val and Roy Beechey.

The sign itself was designed and created by local sign maker, Roger MacMunn. It features the Arden logo “Naturally Beautiful, Friendly by Nature", a short history of the village, and a map of the village painted by local artist Sarah Hale, plus 54 colorful panels detailing the area's over 80 businesses.

Present for the unveiling were Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski, Councilor Tom Dewey, and Anne Marie Young, manager of Economic Development for the County of Frontenac. Each spoke at the celebration and congratulated the Friends of Arden for their efforts towards community revitalization. Friends of Arden member Terry Kennedy hosted the event and spoke of the history of the Friends of Arden group, which was founded in 2010 by long-time Ardenite Dorothy Proctor. The group's goal since then has been to revitalize the community. The sign project was able to happen thanks to a grant from the County of Frontenac's Integrated Community Sustainability Planning Fund. Terry Kennedy thanked the local Arden firefighters, who assisted with the logistics of the celebrations. He stated that the new sign not only serves to identify the village and the many businesses and services it has to offer but also communicates a deeper message “This sign also demonstrates that this is a community working together, a community coming together, and a community revitalizing together.”