COLD LAKE – With candles flickering in the dark and hearts heavy with grief, the Cold Lake community came together in an overwhelming show of love and support to remember six-year-old Ibukun Adeniyi.
More than 600 people lined the streets, joined the walk, or met in prayer as part of a solemn candlelight vigil to honour the young boy’s life. The event took place on the night of June 24, beginning at 9 p.m., just one day after the news that he had been found deceased.
Ibukun was last seen near Rocky Way around 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 22. RCMP issued a missing person's report around 8 p.m., and shortly after midnight on June 23, his death was confirmed. The tragedy sent shockwaves through the community, prompting an outpouring of support.
Amy Jones and Shannon Bryant helped organize the vigil after visiting the family.
“Everybody is definitely supporting and stepping up and just showing their love,” Jones said. “It was the mom part of me that just knew we needed to support and love, you know, and show them what our community is about.”
Bryant added, “So many people in the community were reaching out, ‘how can we help?’ I had suggested a candlelight ceremony... they [the family] were so honoured that we wanted to put this together.”
From City Hall approvals to fire rescue and search and rescue involvement, community members across Cold Lake came together swiftly. “Within minutes we had their approval and paperwork was on the roll,” said Jones. “This little boy’s touched so many hearts in such a short amount of time.”
The vigil included a 3.2-km walk that began near the area where Ibukun was last seen (Rocky Way) and concluded at Saint Dominic Elementary School for a prayer, with many watching from their homes or joining along the streets holding candles.
Jones reflected on the support, “Absolutely blown away. But you know what, that’s Cold Lake. They show up to support each other.”
The emotional evening saw participation from St. Dominic Elementary School principal Jacqueline Densmore, who called it an honour to serve families in such a compassionate community.
Pastor Mark McMillian of Cold Lake Community Church led a prayer.
“When a tragedy strikes like this one, it’s more than just one family that’s affected,” he said. “We just want to honour his memory, his life.”
A photo of Ibukun was placed on the playground at St. Dominic Elementary School, where people slowly and quietly gathered, placing candles one by one around it.
A viewing service for Ibukun Adeniyi was held at St. Dominic Parish on June 25 from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. for the community.
