Fanshawe College has officially opened its Military-Connected College crosswalk at its London Campus.
The crosswalk, located adjacent to M Building at the entrance off Fanshawe College Blvd., is the only post-secondary Military-Connected College crosswalk in Canada. It honours Fanshawe College's military-connected students who are serving members and veterans as well as their families.
"We're proud to be a Military-Connected College," said Darlene O'Neill, lead administrator, Military-Connected Campus at Fanshawe College. "It's our way of recognizing our military-connected students' significant contributions to Fanshawe and to Canada as well as our strong partnership with the armed forces."
The crosswalk has alternating red and white lines - representing the national colours of Canada and Fanshawe's traditional colour scheme. In the centre is a silhouette of a saluting soldier.
"The crosswalk also symbolizes our commitment to supporting our military-connected students throughout their learning journey where we provide flexible learning arrangements, experiential education opportunities and skill upgrading opportunities," said O'Neill.
Mayor of London, Josh Morgan, and representatives from the 31 Canadian Brigade Group, HMCS Prevost, Royal Canadian Legion, Fanshawe College's military-connected advisory committee and Fanshawe's military-connected students witnessed this historic event.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony also occurs at a significant time for Canada's military - June 1 was Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Day and June 6 will be D-Day's 81st anniversary.
In partnership with the CAF, Fanshawe College created the first-ever Military-Connected College. This initiative, which launched in 2020, provides military-connected students, CAF members, veterans, and their families with dedicated support before - and during - their studies as well as after graduation.