It was a narrow vote but Pierpoint Park will not be getting a historical designation.
Centre Wellington council voted 4-3 against the motion which saw Mayor Kelly Linton and councilors Ian Macrae, Steven VanLeeuwen and Neil Dunsmore opposed while councilors Bob Foster, Kirk McElwain and Stephen Kitras were in favour.
President and Treasurer of the Guelph Black Heritage Society, Denise Francis says this is about marking points in Canadian history.
“We will continue to share these stories, as it is our mission to remember the forgotten and amplify their voices because this is not black history, but Canadian history” said Frances.
Council was in favour two parts of the motion to have the area of historical designation and plan for adding to Centre Wellington Heritage Cultural Landscape.
Council still was not in favour of a motion which is purchasing further land and designating it on the Official Plan, calling it irresponsible.
The park is named after Richard Pierpoint who once owned the land.
He was sold as a slave to a British officer and named him Richard Pierpoint and served in the British Empire during the American Revolution in 1776, returned to what was Upper Canada in 1791 and at the age of 68 fought on the front lines to defend the country during the war of 1812.
