WELDON — The Weldon Playground Project is getting support from a neighbouring First Nation. Community members in the Village of Weldon created the project in February in honour of treasured community member Wesley Petterson.
“He was such a kind man. He’d give you the shirt off his back because that’s the type of person he was. I knew him my whole life because our families spent a lot of time visiting one another,” said one of the co-directors of the Weldon Playground Project, Chelsey Erickson.
Petterson was 78 years old when he lost his life on Sept. 4, 2022. He was among the 11 people killed in a stabbing massacre carried out in James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon.
The group plans to name the park and playground Wes Petterson Memorial Park after the late Wesley Petterson. They say Petterson was known for his friendly, good-natured demeanour. He was an early riser and typically the first person to arrive at the seniors’ centre to make coffee for the group of friends and neighbours that would gather there to visit.
Erickson was raised in Weldon and says the population of children in the village and surrounding areas has tripled since she was a child, and a playground would be well-used by area residents. Currently, in Weldon, there’s no designated park and only a few metal swings in an abandoned schoolyard.
“We need a safe space where our children are free to play and have fun away from traffic. It would be a gathering place for families. Parents and grandparents could bring their kids to the playground and enjoy climbing, swinging, or sliding on the equipment. I envision families playing catch, playing games, or having a picnic. It’s a place for all residents to enjoy,” said Erickson.
The Weldon Playground Committee currently has five members who have set out to raise $150,000 for the project. A conceptual drawing of the park includes playground equipment, rubberized ground cover, benches, and signs for the park's namesake.
The group hasn’t finalized a site but aims to build the park near the Weldon care home and hopes to have the play structure ready for use by the end of the summer.
James Smith Cree Nation, Chakastaypasin Band, and Peter Chapman Band leadership and members plan to attend the group's pancake breakfast fundraiser and present the playground committee with a donation on Saturday, April 13, at 10:30 a.m. at the Weldon Auditorium.
Other fundraising plans include a bottle drive, a barbecue, and a dance.
For more information, visit the Weldon Playground Project Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/685658160225317/
Cheque donations requiring a tax receipt can be made out to the Village of Weldon with the memo line, Weldon Playground Project. E-transfers can be sent to: weldon.playground@outlook.com
— Submitted by Rainmaker Communications
