By: Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice
The nine-foot tall bronze likeness of baseball hall of famer Fergie Jenkins throwing a pitch will continue to stand at the entrance of the Chatham-Kent Civic Centre.
According to South Kent Coun. Ryan Doyle, who spoke to the issue at the June 8 council meeting, that’s the wish of the man himself. Doyle, who withdrew a recent motion to explore moving the statue to Fergie Jenkins Field/Rotary Park, said he recently spoke with Jenkins who stressed he wanted the statue to stay put.
“Hopefully, we can put this argument to rest,” Doyle said as he explained why he pulled the motion, adding “a lot” of people have been saying the statue should be moved to the ball park.
But after speaking with Jenkins, Doyle said “there’s a bit more to the story.”
He said Jenkins has been in litigation for the past three years in an effort to get his memorabilia back from a museum operator in St. Catharines. The court case, which prohibited public comment, recently concluded in favour of Jenkins, who will once again be in control of mementos and artifacts collected over the course of his illustrious career.
Doyle said Jenkins wants to see the memorabilia stay with the statue, hopefully in a location in downtown Chatham.
“That is Fergie’s wish that his statue stays with his memorabilia,” Doyle said.
Mayor Darrin Canniff, who was instrumental in bringing a replica of the statue located at Chicago’s Wrigley Field to Chatham in 2023, said Fergie was “given all the options” prior to the installation at the Civic Centre.
Canniff said Fergie Jenkins Field wasn’t selected, as it only has traffic six months of the year.
“If you’re not a baseball fan, you’re not going to see it,” Canniff said, adding that the Civic Centre location “makes a statement about who Fergie Jenkins is in our community.
“He’s not just a baseball player, he’s an icon in our community.”
When the C-K Civic Centre relocates to the new Community Hub, the statue will be moved to the new site. Preliminary plans are in the works to eventually create a Chatham-Kent legends exhibition there.
“It’s going to be an area where we’re celebrating a whole bunch of different people,” the mayor said.