by Sylene Argent
The Harrow Hawks spirit soared high last Wednesday afternoon as a new memorial sculpture was unveiled adjacent to the former secondary school facility.
The new art piece is located next to the high school’s painted rock, which was recently moved from the former secondary school grounds to Town property, nearing the Harrow splashpad.
Councillor Sherry Bondy was proud to note the art piece depicts a hawk logo, inside a steel cage. Former Harrow Hawks alumni will be able place locks on the cage’s grid to show, “the high school holds a place in our hearts still,” she said, adding its closure continues to be an emotional issue for some of its former students.
Bondy was pleased to hear some of the former Harrow Hawks still have their old high school locker locks, and plan to place them on the grid.
“It is a piece of art we can now celebrate,” Bondy added.
It took around a year to have the sculpture installed. Bondy said she got the idea from a lock display she came across in Old Vegas. Once word spread around the community, a few partners - REFAC Industrial Contractors Incorporated, James Gibbs Signs, and Affleck Sheet Metal - stepped forward and contributed to the project. Bondy also contributed $1000 from her Council Contingency Fund to pay for the cement slab upon which the sculpture sits.
“I thought the idea would be good for Harrow,” she said. “It means so much to us who are forever hawks.”
Mayor Larry Snively thanked everyone who contributed. He said because of those donations, the sculpture was put up at no cost to the Town.
The sculpture is a symbol of remembrance of the former high school.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, former Harrow alumni were invited to place their lock on the sculpture.