Two northern geographical features named after late teachers
- EFN Staff | November 23, 2017
Janvier Point and Adam Wood Memorial Landing are two geographicial features in Saskatchewan’s north that have been named in honour of Adam Wood and Marie Janvier who were fatally killed in school shooting at a La Loche high school on January 22, 2016.
North of the Village of La Loche sits Janvier Point and east of the village is the Adam Wood Memorial Landing located long a creek.
“We are pleased to recognize the selfless acts of courage displayed by Marie and Adam through a GeoMemorial,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Gene Makowsky said in a media release. “By honouring their memory in this way, we hope that it brings a small measure of comfort to the families, friends and communities affected by this tragedy.”
The place name nominations for Adam Wood and Marie Janvier were brought forward by the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation and the Ministry of Education along with support letters from teachers, the Northern Lights School Division and the Northern Area Teachers’ Association.
“Today marks a small gesture of our gratitude to Adam Wood and Marie Janvier, to show that we will be forever grateful for their courage and service to the students of La Loche,” Education Minister Bronwyn Eyre said. “It is our hope that everyone will know that Adam and Marie were loved, and that they will never be forgotten.”
Wood was described as an avid outdoorsman who loved northern Saskatchewan, who was a frequent visitor to what he and his friends called “The Landing”, describing it as a little wooded area beside the creek that made a great place for a campfire.
Janvier, who was a long-term resident of the area, is remembered by many as a caring and compassionate person who loved to help anyone in need.
Consultations were made with the Village of La Loche and the Clearwater River Dene Nation, and the review and recommendation by the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation’s Geographic Naming Committee, the official names for Janvier Point and Adam Wood Memorial Landing were approved by the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport in 2017.