La Loche shooting victims honored

November 22, 2017, 5:06 am

Two geographical features in Saskatchewan’s north have been named in honour of Adam Wood and Marie Janvier — a teacher and teacher’s aide who were killed on January 22, 2016, while helping students and colleagues during the shootings at Dene High School in La Loche.

Janvier Point is located on Saleski Lake just north of the Village of La Loche, and Adam Wood Memorial Landing is along a creek just east of the village.

“We are pleased to recognize the selfless acts of courage displayed by Marie and Adam through a GeoMemorial,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Gene Makowsky said. “By honouring their memory in this way, we hope that it brings a small measure of comfort to the families, friends and communities affected by this tragedy.”

The GeoMemorial place name nominations for Marie Janvier and Adam Wood received community support through letters from fellow teachers, the Northern Lights School Division, the Northern Area Teachers’ Association, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation and the Ministry of Education.

“Today marks a small gesture of our gratitude to Adam Wood and Marie Janvier, to show that we will be forever grateful for their courage and service to the students of La Loche,” Education Minister Bronwyn Eyre said. “It is our hope that everyone will know that Adam and Marie were loved, and that they will never be forgotten.”

Adam was as an avid outdoorsman who loved northern Saskatchewan. He was a frequent visitor to what he and his friends called “The Landing”, describing it as a little wooded area beside the creek that made a great place for a campfire. Marie, who was a long-term resident of the area, is remembered by many as a caring and compassionate person who loved to help anyone in need.

The place name nominations for Adam Wood and Marie Janvier were brought forward by the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation and the Ministry of Education. Following consultation with the Village of La Loche and the Clearwater River Dene Nation, and the review and recommendation by the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation’s Geographic Naming Committee, the official names for Janvier Point and Adam Wood Memorial Landing were approved by the Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport in 2017.

To learn more about Saskatchewan’s GeoMemorial Commemorative Naming Program, visit www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/parks-recreation-heritage-and-arts/heritage/propose-a-new-geographic-place-name.