A special walk through event was held Saturday as a tribute to Victor Thunderchild. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

A community remembers

Mayor to recommend naming city park after well respected teacher

Apr 24, 2021 | 3:59 PM

A wall of pictures reflecting Victor Thunderchild’s passions, community involvement, and most of all his love for his family, stood out in the small East End Community Hall.

The walk-through memorial event Saturday comes one week after the longtime Carlton Comprehensive high school teacher/ student counsellor passed away from COVID. Thunderchild was 55.

Due to COVID restrictions, only 30 people were allowed in the hall at one time. Mayor Greg Dionne came to pay his respects to the family and told the small crowd he was going to bring a motion forward to city council, recommending the city name a park after Thunderchild.

“We will work hard and we think we have a special one,” Dionne said, adding the city first has to double-check the history books to ensure they don’t offend anyone. “I will be bringing that to council very shortly.”

Sheryl Kimbley helped organize the event and said she asked Thunderchild’s wife Vi permission first.

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“She knew he had so many friends and there was not going to be any way in this COVID time to get everybody to pay their respects,” she said.

Kimbley explained she and her husband were close friends with Thunderchild and his wife.

“There were just always there for every community event and pitching in any way they could,” Kimbley said.

Thunderchid’s passion for his favourite hockey team, the Montreal Canadians, was quite visible. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

The Rez Boys helped to lift peoples’ spirits. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Reflecting on the task of organizing the emotional event, which in addition to the massive photo display, included a live performance from the Rez Boys, as well as lunch and a PowerPoint presentation, Kimbley said it wasn’t that hard.

“Everyone wanted to help somehow so all the pictures just came in and a PowerPoint was done and I didn’t have to do a thing to be honest,” she said.

Earlier this week it was announced a special scholarship at Carlton was being set up in Thunderchild’s name. Teachers Dani Van Steelandt and Kelly Klassen both created a GoFundMe for the Victor Thunderchild Legacy Scholarship.

As of Saturday afternoon, it had already raised over $11,000.

A young child admires some stickers she was given. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Van Steelandt, Klassen, and the rest of their unofficial board are looking for $20,000 for five years worth of scholarships. The plan is to award two $2,000 scholarships each year to one male and one female student of Indigenous descent that are pursuing post-secondary education.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell