Regina teachers honour La Loche
- Jeanelle Mandes | February 14, 2016
The front steps of the Saskatchewan Legislative Building was glowing with more than 200 people holding candles to honor a northern community six days following a fatal school shooting that sent shockwaves nation-wide.
Following the tragic La Loche school shooting on January 22nd, local teachers in Regina gathered together to organize a walk and a candlelight vigil in honor of the community.
“The province was in such shock on the weekend nobody really knew what to do, we didn’t have any answers. We’re almost pinching ourselves and saying, ‘no, it’s not real, it can’t happen here’,” says Juanita Tuharsky, an educator with the Regina Public School.
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A friend of Tuharsky lives in the community and she felt her friend’s pain. It was then she came up with the idea of putting it on Facebook asking people’s thoughts on organizing a candlelight vigil.
“I thought it was going to be very small….then it grew. I thought I was going to have about 20 people and ended up with 200,” she said.
The walk started at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum and ended at the front steps of the Legislative building. Majority of the walkers were holding candles, some flags, an eagle feather to pushing their child in a stroller.
Elder Norma-Jean Byrd, who did the opening prayer, said she worked in La Loche which is how she became familiar with the community. Byrd states how desperate the community is in need of help.
“[We need] to support La Loche so they know that people care and we wish the best for them. And for the ones in the hospital, we need to say a prayer for them, their families and all the people in the community. This is a tragic thing because it harms a whole community. I really feel for the children because they’re never going to forget this,” said Byrd.
Participants of the candlelight vigil ranged from educators, young children and politicians such as Trent Wotherspoon who said the turnout was heartwarming with people from all walks of life.
“Clearly we’re all in this together whether if it’s La Loche in the far north or here in Regina,” said the Deputy Leader of the Saskatchewan NDP. “It’s a time to grieve and mourn loss. It’s important that we all stand together to recognize the horrifying loss and hurt in the subsequent days to take steps towards action and to improve the lives of people.”
The event ended with the crowd singing along to Ben E. King’s Lean on Me and placing the candles in the snowbank in front of the building.