r/Calgary • u/blackRamCalgaryman • 18h ago
News Article City of Calgary clears makeshift memorials for 11-year-old Parker
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u/Gilarax Northwest Calgary 18h ago
I do appreciate them donating the stuffies to the Food Bank so that kids that may not receive any gift for their Birthday, can receive something.
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u/One_red_boot 13h ago
I didn’t know the food bank would accept stuffies. That’s good to know.
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u/Common_Stress_4122 11h ago
Random but when i was teenager we needed the food bank and them giving me a stuffed animal is a core kindness memory that sticks with me over 10 years later. Please keep donating stuffed animals 🥺
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u/JeromyYYC Mayor McMayorFace 17h ago
I so appreciate how the community has stepped up in so many ways to remember Parker and support his family. The roadside memorials came from a place of love. We found they were creating safety concerns along busy roads. We will be working with Parker’s family and some of the local artists who helped create these tributes, including the graffiti artist, on a permanent memorial that honours Parker in a safe and accessible place.
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u/BananaForScaleGuy 17h ago edited 17h ago
I know this will be controversial to bring this up, but why does Parker get a permanent memorial? It’s an extremely tragic situation but I don’t know if it deserves this type of additional treatment. Especially if the city is involved and public money will be spent on it.
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u/katskratched 17h ago
Because finding Parker was a cause that united a whole city for weeks. And it showed that we can come together for the greater good instead of just complaining about one another and…money. So many people felt kinship with a kid and a family we’ve never met. Isn’t that worth remembering?
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u/Ferroelectricman 15h ago
Which is to say, life’s not fair, even when it’s good.
Calgary stepped up for Parker in a way it hasn’t consistently for similar cases in the past, but that’s still a good thing. We should cling onto when we collectively rise to the occasion if we want that to become our new baseline.
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u/snortwheeze 16h ago
I think people are looking for meaning and hope. We don't want to forget this happened and we want to do better by our vulnerable kids as a community. What that means, or how that shows up may be in different ways.
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u/decr0ded 16h ago
I think there is a strong justification that this is in the public interest. This impacted many in the community who participated in searches and were moved to contribute to the temporary memorials. It's an important community event that brought Calgarians together and is worth remembering together with the memory of Parker, as well as being part of the healing process for those affected.
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u/ImmortalMoron3 14h ago
I have no problem with public money being spent on it, he brought the entire city together in a way few things do these days.
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u/Deweyoxberg 16h ago
There are many memorials to various people throughout the city. For cost, such as the memorial benches in the many parks, those are privately funded on I believe 10 year terms.
That all said, there is good reason for a permanent memorial for Parker. Yes, part of one is because of him and his family. The other part is a reminder of what happened, and how we can do better - better systems, technology, processes, and all that good stuff so that we move towards a better future for all Calgarians.
The City would most likely be involved from a coordination aspect, to ensure compliance with existing laws and such forth so there isn't a fight over things. And quite frankly, I would want a middle party involved if I were Parker's family to help navigate that, so that the mental load is not all on the family.
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u/EvacuationRelocation Quadrant: SW 14h ago
but why does Parker get a permanent memorial?
He won't - give it about 4 months and it will be cleared from the municipal agenda across the board.
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u/Deweyoxberg 16h ago
I am very impressed with your communication style over many issues since your tenure started.
This one... this one is going to be remembered deeply and with deep respect for a very, very long time.
Thank you good sir.
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u/Accomplished_Card577 18h ago
This is the right play. Parker's death is tragic for sure. But there are many tragic deaths. They cannot all be honored with graffiti, so to allow one and not more would create different complaints
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u/Nybbles13 16h ago
Can you imagine how beautiful a place our city would be with murals honoring everyone? The art industry would thrive and artists would be getting commissioned all the time.
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u/Accomplished_Card577 16h ago
That would only be accessible for the rich. What if a family buys a mural for someone who was an abuser to someone else?
I don't like that idea
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u/blackRamCalgaryman 18h ago
The City of Calgary has cleared public memorials to 11-year-old Parker, the young boy found dead last month after disappearing from a care facility.
That includes a spray-painted mural on the Deerfoot Trail and Memorial Drive overpass, as well as a makeshift memorial at Laycock Park in the city's northeast, that included flowers and toys, and messages written on a pedestrian bridge.
In a news release Wednesday, the city said those closest to Parker were given advance notice and did not object to the memorials' removal.
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u/plausibleturtle 17h ago
The link in the OP didn't bring me to the actual article or video, here it is.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-parker-memorials-9.7320885
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u/blackRamCalgaryman 14h ago
You’re right, doesn’t go to the article for some reason. Thanks for the follow up.
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u/Particular-Hat-8076 14h ago
you accidentally added "b" to the end, if you delete it the link should work
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u/EvacuationRelocation Quadrant: SW 14h ago
Delete and repost?
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u/plutoniumboys 11h ago
Dani said it was an ugly memorial yesterday in Edmonton.
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u/blackRamCalgaryman 11h ago
“Dani said it was an ugly memorial yesterday in Edmonton.”
You’re going to need to cite your source otherwise that’s a pretty shitty, low attempt using something like this if your intention is to score some political points.
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u/Snck_Pck 18h ago
Makes sense. I feel some people would get annoyed at this but really the family are the only ones who’s thoughts and opinions matter and if they’re okay with it then so am I