Site of 1972 plane crash that killed Manitoba students commemorated with memorial

The victims of a tragic level clang much than 50 years agone are being remembered astatine the tract of the incidental successful St. James.

On June 24, 1972, a level taking 8 students location to Bunibonibee Cree Nation (then known arsenic Oxford House) for the summer, from residential schools successful Portage la Prairie and Stonewall, crashed successful a vacant batch connected Linwood Street successful Winnipeg.

There were nary survivors.

On Wednesday, the metropolis — on with Bunibonibee members and representatives of the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, arsenic good arsenic the lone surviving genitor of a pupil killed successful the incidental — unveiled a monument to the victims.

“It is important we retrieve the tragic nonaccomplishment of these young lives and the heavy interaction it has had connected the families, the Bunibonibee Cree Nation, and each those connected to this tragedy,” Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham said.

“This monument volition honour their representation and assistance guarantee their stories are not forgotten arsenic we proceed our shared travel toward healing and reconciliation.”

The monument, which has been installed adjacent the intersection of Linwood and Silver Avenue, on the Yellow Ribbon Greenway Trail, was initiated by a petition from the aviation museum, earlier eventual support from metropolis council.

“The devastating level clang that claimed the lives of young radical from our Nation is everlastingly etched successful our hearts and minds,” said existent Bunibonibee Chief Richard Hart, who participated successful the unveiling.

“Particularly heartbreaking is that we volition ne'er cognize however greatly these young radical could’ve impacted our satellite if they were inactive with america today.

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“The families and our assemblage anticipation the imperishable memorial volition service arsenic a reminder to everyone that these young radical are loved and volition ne'er beryllium forgotten.”

Hart told 680 CJOB earlier this twelvemonth that a akin monument had been erected successful Portage la Prairie, astatine the tract of 1 of the residential schools the students attended, and that the assemblage itself commemorates the calamity each year.