A greenspace in northeast Calgary will now bear the name of an Alberta politician who was killed in a tragic roadside crash in November 2015.
Manmeet Singh Bhullar died after he was struck by a semi tractor-trailer that lost control on some ice on the QEII highway north of Calgary. The politician had stopped his vehicle to help a stranded driver when the accident took place.
Thousands of people attended Bhullar’s funeral and that show of love and support was represented again at a new Calgary park named in his honour on Saturday.
Manmeet Singh Bhullar Park, located along the Rotary/Mattamy Greenway in Taradale will serve as a meeting place for many Calgarians and a place to honour the legacy of the politician who dedicated his life to helping the community.
Bhullar’s wife Namrita Rattan says it has been a special day for her and everyone who knew her late husband.
“We are so blessed that so many people joined us and so many people remember Manmeet and that we will have this park to remember him and a beautiful space in the northeast.”
Park Foundation Calgary, the agency that oversees the establishment of parks in the city, says that it has taken almost three years to bring this project to life,
“We fundraised for this park, got contributions from the Calgary Foundation, City of Calgary and many private donors that helped make this park a reality,” said the foundation’s CEO Sheila Taylor. “It is so reflective of Manmeet’s spirit, so needed by the community and such a beautiful park.”
The space encompasses five hectares and features a gathering plaza and distinctive harvest tables that provide seating for up to 20 people.
“He’s left a huge mark on the city and we wanted there to be a permanent mark for him in terms of a park,” said Taylor.
Bhullar became the first turbaned Sikh cabinet minister in Canada when he was named Service Alberta Minister in 2011.
An elementary school in the northeast Calgary community of Martindale also bears the name of the late MLA.
(With files from Stephanie Wiebe)
