A new plan for Memorial Park in Cold Lake North was share during the January 28, Cold Lake council meeting, where two Assumption Junior/Senior High School students presented an idea to update the park as a tribute to military history.
Sydney Jorgensen and Maya Asnong suggest turning the park into an educational space with a bilingual digital collection of military life stories. “We’d like to propose an interactive plaque in Memorial Park,” Jorgensen explained, while Asnong emphasized that the park would honor “the brave military members who have served and are still serving our nation.”
The project would include creating QR codes that link to the biographies of Canadian soldiers from World War I and II, researched by the school’s French Immersion Grade 12 class. Jorgensen also proposed planting a tree with a sign to provide a peaceful place for reflection.
To make sure that the project lasts, Asnong asked the city for help in keeping the online platform updated. “This platform would be like a modern memory book, preserving the biographies and protecting them for the future,” she said.
The idea for the project came after their teacher found old letters at a garage sale. After tracking the letters, it led to a soldier’s burial site in the Netherlands and a meaningful connection with a woman, who as a child, had seen a crash the soldier was involved in.
Council members were interested, asking about working with the local Legion and whether local military members would be included. Jorgensen confirmed that both local and national figures would be featured.
Deputy Mayor Chris Vining asked about the details of the sings and website content, the students confirmed that the project has already received funding. Their teacher secured a $1,000 grant last year, which will be used for the signs and QR codes.
The request will be discussed further at a future council meeting.
