City to commemorate Duchess

By Roger Knox - Vernon Morning Star  Published: May 04, 2012   A memorial to a beloved Vernon icon is coming.  The City of Vernon has announced it will install a memorial plaque inside a large stone to honour Duchess the Swan, who passed away in February at the age of 27. The memorial will sit by the pond in Polson Park where Duchess used to swim. The city had hoped to have a public memorial and formally dedicate the plaque on May 24, but Mayor Rob Sawatsky said the date has been delayed. “I don’t know how large the sign is going to be but the person creating it said the contours of the sign are larger than planned, and needed a bit more time,” said Sawatsky. City hall was inundated with requests from citizens to do something to remember the popular swan. The city established a memorial fund and collected donations from citizens in and around Vernon. “We will formally place the plaque to dedicate it to the memory of Duchess, and honour the wishes of area citizens,” said Sawatsky.