Designs for a new gathering space to improve the Victim's of Chemical Valley Memorial at Centennial Park were welcomed by members of Sarnia city council on Monday.
Sam Charlinski with Architects Tillman Ruth Robinson presented drawings which showed the commemorative missing workers memorial surrounded by seating, keeping the sculpture as a focal point with Sarnia's industrial area shown in a distance.
Councillor Brian White was impressed.
"I think the design is beautiful," White said. "It seems to be a very sensitively designed space with consideration to all of the uses that would accompany the space or that were intended."
Councillor Anne Marie Gillis agreed.
"It's an amazing design, and the one thing that it does do is it certainly pays not only a tribute to the victims, but it pays tribute to Shawn McKnight who created this monument," Gillis said.
Community Services General Manager Stacey Forfar said the architectural firm the city is working with is very professional.
"They do work in other major community facilities in the city," Forfar said. "They have spent quite a bit of time on the engineering and design work on this. So, the preliminary estimate is around $500,000."
She said staff are planning to report back to council with a contingency funding plan as well.
"We are quite confident in the numbers that this team has provided and those will be refined moving forward with council," she said.
Councillor Bill Dennis suggested families of victims be allowed to purchase stones to honour loved ones.
The monument — a silhouette of a person that frames three figures of the family left behind — honours workers who have been injured, became sick or died because of their jobs.