Memorial garden for 5 killed at 2014 house party opens in Calgary
A plot of South Glenmore Park is now officially the Quinterra Legacy Garden.
The garden honours five Calgarians who were killed at a Brentwood house party in 2014: Lawrence Hong, Josh Hunter, Kaitlin Perras, Jordan Segura and Zackariah Rathwell.
The five were stabbed to death by a fellow student, Matthew de Grood, during a party to celebrate the end of classes at University of Calgary. De Grood was found not criminally responsible.
The tribute includes 18 permanent, outdoor musical instruments and a large stage for artists. It also has five benches, one for each victim.
"That's the way we thought we could honour Josh and the other kids, to find something that would be uplifting and positive," said Barclay Hunter. "People enjoy being here. It's a great place."
The memorial is described as a space for appreciating music and the arts.
"It's very moving," said Hunter. "We see little kids coming in and they're excited to jump on the instruments and connect with that."
Parks Foundation CEO Sheila Taylor called it "a place that will bring such joy and happiness to others.
"And it's a place that really reflects the personalities and passions of each of these young people," she told CTV News. "It's an amazing tribute."
The park has been open since October but Saturday's official ribbon cutting offered a chance for dozens of friends and family to get together for a celebration.
Barclay believes it's a great reminder.
"They would be pumped," he said. "They would be really excited about it."
Multiple organizations contributed to fund the garden, including Bassett Associates Landscape Architecture, Enmax, the City of Calgary and the province.
The area is accessible near the park's spray pad parking.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.