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Vernon homeless memorial moved within Polson Park

Vernon's homeless memorial in Polson Park has been moved to a new spot within the park; annual tribute ceremony set for Thursday, Oct. 17, 2 p.m., at new location
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Rev. Chuck Harper from the North Okanagan Community Chaplaincy, is at the site of the relcoated homeless memorial within Vernon's Polson Park, near the bandshell. Harper will host the annual homeless memorial tribute Thursday, 2 p.m., Oct. 17, at the new location.

New location, same sentiment.

The first time Chaplain Chuck, aka Rev. Chuck Harper of the North Okanagan Community Chaplaincy, hosted a memorial tribute in Vernon's Polson Park, in 2014, to Vernon's homeless who had died, he knew 13 of the 14 people being remembered.

He worked with community service providers, the City of Vernon, and men and women living on the streets, to come up with a memorial for the homeless, and to find a permanent location for that memorial.

A spot was located in the city's jewel, Polson Park, and the memorial placed onto a large rock located by Vernon Creek, running through the heart of the park.

Every year since, Chaplain Chuck has hosted a service in October to those who lost their lives with no permanent roof over their heads.

"I've been asked to perform many memorial services for the increasingly high number of men and women on our streets who have been dying from the opioid crisis, from violence, or from compromised health," said Harper.

The memorial now has a new home in the same neighbourhood.

Because of the city's ongoing naturalization project with Vernon Creek in Polson Park, the memorial had to be moved. Working with the city, parks, and staff, the memorial was relocated within the park to an area north of the bandshell, close to the Vernon Lawn Bowling Club.

Harper invites everyone to Thursday's ceremony.

"It's important for me to be able to share a lesson in hope in times of great sadness and sorrow," he said. "The issues on our streets, the streets of the provinces and the country, are so complex, so diverse."

 

 

 

 

 



Roger Knox

About the Author: Roger Knox

I am a journalist with more than 30 years of experience in the industry. I started my career in radio and have spent the last 21 years working with Black Press Media.
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