New memorial recognized at Every Child Matters ceremony

The newly created Every Child Matters Memorial officially opened at Snowdon Park with a celebration on Saturday.

Hosted by the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association (CSAA), the ceremony gathered dozens to honour the lives of four boys who drowned in a pond that was located behind the former Shingwauk Indian Residential School.

Those boys were Peter Beauvais (1929), Gerald Crossman (1960), and two unknown boys in 1914.

Located in the northwest corner of the park, the memorial features three benches and three trees which have commemorative plaques installed on tree guards. A large rock in the middle of the benches shares the history of the park, while an arbour welcomes visitors to the memorial.  

The celebration also included a plaque commemoration which recognized residential school survivors Nellie Mitchell (nee Ojeebah) and Ellen Pine for their help in rescuing a neighbourhood boy who fell into the Shannon Road pond in 1960.

Margie Owl and Barb Sagon were also part of that quick-thinking rescue group 63 years ago.

Among the attendees on Saturday was Ken Crossman, the brother of Gerald who drowned at the site while trying to save his younger brother Robert from incurring the same fate.

He spoke about how the memorial has brought some closure to his family.

“Closure is a process that everyone must come to terms with at some point in their lives,” he says. “This memorial and celebration has now confided some of that for my family.”

Also in attendance was Jackie Fletcher, a residential school survivor who played a key role in bringing the Every Child Matters Memorial to Snowdon Park.

“When I was sitting on my chair and I heard these kids behind me playing, I thought about the kids who are down underneath here – their souls,” she said tearfully. “We don’t want them to ever be forgotten.”

The tireless search for the names of the two unknown boys who drowned in 1914 is still ongoing, and Children of Shingwauk co-founder Shirley Horn didn’t mince words about that.

“It was very shameful their names weren’t even taken down and a record made of them,” she said. “We decided that we’re going to try and find those names, and we’ve been at it for over two years now. If you have a good heart, then something will come to fruition. We’re very grateful for everyone who has helped us along the way.”

In June 2021, the city apologized to Ken Crossman for the 1960 drowning death of his brother Gerald.

The city agreed at that time to work with the Children of Shingwauk to develop plans for a memorial acknowledging the drowning deaths at the park on Florwin Drive near the former residential school.

Earlier this year, the CSAA asked that Snowdon Park be renamed to Memorial Park.

But descendants of Ashton Snowdon, for whom the park was named, countered with a request that his name remain on the park.

A task force was assembled between the Snowdon descendants and the CSAA, and both parties decided Snowdon Park would keep its name, while an area of the park would be renamed to the now existing Every Child Matters Sacred Memorial.

Both sides were in attendance today, including Don Elliott, the grandson of Ashton Snowdon. He assured attendees that his grandfather would be honoured to share the east-end park with the memorial.

“This park has a very special place in the hearts of the family members of my maternal grandfather,” he says. “We’re delighted to share this quiet place of reflection in honour of the boys whose lives were taken from their families all too soon. I can assure you that Mr. Snowdon would feel the same.”

Mayor Matthew Shoemaker noted it was a momentous day for Sault Ste. Marie thanks to “the greatness of municipal services and our city parks, as well as recognizing the tragedies that have happened on this site over the course of 100 or so years.”

– with files from David Helwig and James Hopkin