(Photo by Amber Bear.)
A playground in the Village of Weldon is to be built, honouring one of the victims of the September 2022 mass stabbing victims.
The Weldon Playground Project received a $116,000 donation from the James Smith Cree Nation at a fundraiser in the Weldon Auditorium on Saturday.
The Weldon Playground Project was created by a group of community members who envisioned a park that would be a safe place to play, for the children of Weldon and surrounding areas. The park and playground will be built in honour of Wesley “Wes” Petterson. Petterson was a member of the Weldon community who was killed, along with 11 in the Weldon and James Smith Cree Nation attacks. The park will be named, “The Wes Petterson Memorial Park.” The project committee created a fundraiser goal of $150,000. The park plans include playground equipment, rubber playground surfacing, memorial and donor signs, landscaping, planters, and benches. The proposed location is beside the Weldon Care Home and the hope is to bring the seniors some enjoyment also.
A pancake breakfast fundraiser was held and leaders from the James Smith Cree Nation, Chakastaypasin Band, and the Peter Chapman Band presented the Weldon Playground Project with a gift of a painting and a financial donation.
The Chakastaypasin Band Chief Calvin Sanderson presented a financial donation of $116,000 to the committee. “It’s an honour for us three Chiefs to be able to do this, it’s for our family members and those who lost family, they are grateful that we could contribute to this project on their behalf,” he said.
During the presentation of the cheque the auditorium filled with gasps and cheers. The Weldon Playground Project committee members celebrated with hugs.
Jamie Petrie, co-director of the Weldon Playground Project explains the impact of the donation. “That covers all of the cost of our equipment and everything else we need and then we just need to fundraise for the rest of the rubberized surfaces,” said Petrie
Members of the village of Weldon and surrounding communities came together and are showing immense support for the playground project. The donations collected will ensure the project will be a reality. “It’s putting Weldon back on the map but in a good way,” explained Project Co-Developer Chelsey Erickson
You can learn more about the upcoming fundraisers on their Weldon Playground Project Facebook page.