Two temporary memorials that sprung up in the wake of April’s deadly van attack along Yonge Street will be dismantled on Sunday ahead of the eventual creation of a permanent installation.
The memorials at Olive Square Park and Mel Lastman Square grew organically in the days and weeks following the attack, as members of the public stopping by to leave flowers and messages of condolences at the sites
On Sunday, the city says that it will host a ceremony to “respectfully gather the cards, messages and flowers” that have formed the basis of the memorial and “remember the victims once again.”
The ceremony is scheduled to get underway at 2 p.m. The plan is for participants to gather at Olive Square Park and then walk along Yonge Street to Mel Lastman Square.
Ward. 23 Coun. John Filion says that cards and other mementos will be collected by city staff and reviewed to ensure that a “significant collection” is preserved for the Toronto Archives and various museums located in the city.
He says that potted plants will also be replanted in local parks while cut flowers will be composted.
At the end of the ceremony, a temporary plaque will then be installed in Olive Square Park in advance of the creation of a permanent memorial at a later date.
“In the coming months, the city will begin the process of considering what type of permanent remembrance would be most appropriate,” Filion sain in a message posted to his website. “We have already received many good suggestions from members of the public but will also be looking at some examples from elsewhere in the world and, most importantly, consulting with the families of the victims.”
The April 23 van attack claimed the lives of 10 people and injured 16 others.
