BONNYVILLE - The local Royal Canadian Legion wants to remind everyone that Every Child Matters, and they will be spreading the message in a permanent way.
As more unmarked graves are found at former Indian Residential Schools across the country, the Bonnyville Legion will be remembering the lives lost and those who survived by creating a monument.
"This is a gift from the legion," said Jamie Beaupre, local legion president, adding they're doing it on behalf of everyone who attended residential schools.
"All we're offering is a remembrance for these kids... All we're doing is putting a reminder out," he continued.
The Every Child Matters Memorial will be next to the cenotaph at Slawuta Pond, with the land being donated by the Town of Bonnyville and the granite slab provided by Northern Lights Funeral Chapel.
It all started when Beaupre placed stuffed animals on the steps of the Bonnyville Legion following the news in June that 215 unmarked graves had been discovered at the former Kamploops Indian Residential School.
"Within a few days there were 300 of them. People just started adding and adding (to it)," he described. "It was unreal. Nobody expected it."
Originally, the legion had planned on auctioning the toys off to fundraise for the memorial, but in the end used their tried-and-true methods of holding meat draws, street jams, and selling food.
Beaupre estimates they have managed to raise anywhere from $3,250 to $3,500 so far, and the stuffed animals that weren't sold or kept by the legion for future use were donated to the Santa's Elves program.
The design
The granite slab, which is seven-feet by three-feet, is split in two pieces and will be laid out like an open book, Beaupre described. On one half will be the words "In Remembrance of Residential School Children," while the other side will read, "Every Child Matters."
They've also incorporated a specially designed version of a dream catcher the legion had created a few years ago. Flags representing the Canadian, Métis, Treaty Six, and Inuit people were also included in the final design.
What the legion hopes, is when members of the community see the memorial they stop and think about what happened at Indian Residential Schools across the country.
"I hope they realize what went on," he expressed.
The Town of Bonnyville approved donating the land during their July 13 council meeting.
“I think this is a great initiative, but it absolutely has to have the blessing of our Indigenous neighbours, they’re the individuals this issue is surrounding,” said Mayor Gene Sobolewski.
Coun. Brian McEvoy, who is also a member of the legion and on the committee spearheading the project, confirmed they had been in contact with representatives from the local First Nations and Métis communities.
"The intent is to recognize, not to teach. This is about acknowledgement and recognition,” he said.
