Memorial held for Regina woman whose death sparked calls to action on homelessness
A memorial feast was held in Regina on Thursday for Marjorie McKay, a woman whose death sparked calls for action on homelessness in the city and the creation of a camp for the homeless named in her honour.
Numerous community leaders and the family of Marjorie McKay arrived for a feast in Pepsi Park on the one year anniversary of her death.
“It’s a great turnout. I like that. What my mother created here, you know, amongst her friends and so great to see,” said Howard McKay, Marjorie’s son.
Last October, Marjorie McKay died in Victoria Park while a public discussion about homelessness was being held outside a church across the street.
Her death prompted the creation of a community of tents for those in need of housing and also renewed discussion about long term solutions.
Shylo Stevenson, Camp Hope Organizer, said they created Camp Marjorie in her honour then renamed it to Camp Hope after her funeral.
“That’s what it evolved to and here we are a year later and still in a more dire state than we were last year unfortunately but we are striving in the right direction,” he said.
One year later, a petition drive is underway to convince city council to implement its five-year-old plan to end homelessness.
“Out of the folks that were left behind at Camp Hope, by spring of this year we had lost nearly 10 per cent of them and now we’re almost at a loss of one in five so you have loss of life which is very tragic,” said Alycia Johnson with Rally Around Homelessness.
City Council will vote in December on whether to commit the dollars needed to seriously tackle houselessness. It could lead to another chapter being written in the legacy of Marjorie McKay.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.