Former City Councillor George Maroosis dedicated over 30 years of his life serving the people of North Bay.
City council wants to honour his commitment by dedicating the first piece of public art in his name.
“Because we’re doing so much when it comes to public art, we’ve got the new committee for public art, we thought it was very fitting to have the first piece dedicated to George Maroosis for his 32 years of service for the city of North Bay,” said deputy mayor Tanya Vrebosch.
“He loves art. He has his art store. He is a big advocate for Indigenous art, so it just seemed to be the right fit. He deserves some recognition. And we need to look at some of the previous people who have also served on city council to make sure we say thanks to them as well.”
Vrebosch credits the former councillor for his dedication to community organizations.
“Whether it was being a founding member of the DNSSAB (District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board) or founding member for the Crisis Centre. And he has been on the LIPI board (Low Income People Involvement of Nipissing). “
Vrebosch says people don’t always get the recognition they deserve.
“It is very unfortunate that if somebody chooses not to run or if they don’t win the election, it is almost as though they are forgotten. There is no recognition and I think that is something we need to bring back. There are so many good politicians that we’ve had put four-plus years of their lives on hold, and it's just over. There is not thanks. And I think that is something that the city should be looking at doing, more of a recognition program like outlying communities do,” said Vrebosch.
“The knowledge that he has, the way he conducts himself with citizens and always putting them first, it was always good to see. And he was always there if you had questions. He had a huge impact when it came to the operational review. The number of hours that man put in over the last term was amazing.”
The next step is deciding what artwork would be suitable, whether it be a sculpture, a painting or some other piece of art.
“Maybe it could be something that will go across from his store. Does he want something hung in City Hall? “
The date for the dedication ceremony has yet to be determined.
“We’ll do a lot more when it comes to the ceremony to really recognize him. There are so many people in the community who want to talk about the impact he has made on them.”
