New COVID-19 memorial to help Edmonton move forward from pandemic
CBC
As the pandemic slowly moves to the past, the City of Edmonton has decided to commission a piece of public art that will ensure citizens remember the impact of COVID-19 and those who died because of it.
"As leaders, we have a duty to uphold the memory of those who have sacrificed so much and to the hundreds of Edmontonians who lost their lives to COVID-19," Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said Saturday night during a special vigil at city hall.
Though the pandemic is not over, the event is the first step in the healing process, Sohi said. He hopes that the monument can be healing for both individuals and the community.
Elder Betty Letendre, who spoke at the vigil, recalled how scary the pandemic was for people as the spread of the virus grew in early 2020.
"We didn't know what to do, where to go. Especially when everything was shut down," she said. "And there were the Elders — and I'm included in that — where we talked about if we allow fear to overtake our faith, we would not see this through."
Sohi recounted his own experience with loss, saying his brother died during the pandemic of a non-COVID-related illness but because of the virus Soho couldn't visit him in the hospital.
"There are many things we can't control with this disease, but what we can control is how we move forward together," Sohi said.
"I'm glad we have begun to create more moments of catharsis."
A public vigil is planned for the summer, and the monument is being commissioned by the Edmonton Arts Council.
Details on artist, location and timeline are still being decided. Mayor Sohi said he hopes that the monument is done later this year.
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