Written By Jan Sims
ILDERTON - Just in time for the Winter Olympics, the signs recognizing two of Canada’s most celebrated Olympians are back up in Ilderton.
The signs, commemorating skaters Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue, are once again posted at the entrances to Ilderton, after being removed for repairs. “Years of exposure to the elements and road salt had damaged the signs. The custom-made signs were sent back to the original manufacturer for full refurbishment and renewal,” says Middlesex Centre Communications Manager Heather Kepran.
The signs are located at four points leading to Ilderton. Two are on Hyde Park Road on the north-sound corridor and two are at east-west points on Ilderton Road.
The bill for the repairs came in at $5,000. “The signs were custom-made and needed to be sent back to the original manufacturer and fully disassembled as part of the repairs,” says Kepran.
Scott and Tessa got their figure skating start in Ilderton and they went on to be among the most decorated skaters in Olympic history. They were also three-time World Champions. “The pair represented Canada on the world stage with sportsmanship and grace and have been inducted into the Order of Canada and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. The signs are the community’s way of continuing to recognize Scott and Tessa’s amazing achievements and contributions to the sport of ice dancing at the international level, and to celebrate that their journey started in Ilderton,” says Kepran.
The signs have a very distinctive design. Each sign features a ring in a different colour, representing the Olympic rings. “A public committee played an instrumental role in selecting the sign designs. They reviewed the submissions of recognition signs and chose the Olympic ring design to recognize Scott and Tessa’s accomplishments,” says Kepran.
