Cross memorial honours lives lost to COVID-19, demands government accountability
A memorial display created by a community member in Regina honours the lives lost to COVID-19 and demands accountability from the provincial government.
Clinton Ackerman installed 127 crosses on the northwest lawn of the Legislative Building to represent those who died of COVId-19 between July 11 and Oct. 1, 2021. A letter to Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe was hung on a few of the crosses.
Ackerman explained in the letterthat his memorial serves two purposes - the first,to honour the lives lost.
“They were people with families, friends, and loved ones, whose loss will be felt for years and generations to come. They are not a number, nor are they ‘the unvaccinated’, they are missed, loved, and cherished,” the letter reads.
“The second purpose is to remind you, Scott Moe, of the cost of your ignorance and inability to lead our province in service of the people who live here. The loss represented here was preventable.”
The letter demands an apology from the premier and the replacement of Paul Merriman as minister of health.
In a statement to CTV News, the Government of Saskatchewan offered condolences to those who have lost someone to COVID-19 but did not acknowledge the display or the letter to the premier.
“This is why it is critical that all eligible Saskatchewan residents get vaccinated,” the province said in an email.
“Getting vaccinated is also about protecting those around you who may be vulnerable, such as people with underlying health conditions and children under 12 who are too young to be vaccinated.”
In Saskatchewan, there are 335 COVID-19 patients in hospital, including 85 in the ICU – breaking the record of 84 patients set Sunday.
Of the 335 patients, 254 – 76 per cent – were not fully vaccinated.
Premier Scott Moe confirmed Monday morning the province will send six ICU patients to Ontario and request staffing assistance from the federal government.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.