Two women are hoping to bring some light back to the community of St. Albert, Alta., after the tragic weekend shooting involving two Mounties.
Debbie Raymond and Tara McCormick have been placing white ribbons around town in honour of the two RCMP officers wounded while investigating reports of a stolen vehicle at a casino northwest of Edmonton.
One of the officers, Const. David Matthew Wynn, has not regained consciousness and is not expected to survive, according to the RCMP.
Raymond, who has lived in St. Albert her whole life, said she never thought she’d experience such a crime in her town.
“We live in a community with almost zero crime, and all of a sudden this horrible, horrible tragedy happens,” she said.
As the community mourned, the women tried to see what steps the town could take to recover
“We’re at a loss. What do you do? How do you help?” Raymond said. “How do you show that you care?”
The two say they’ve hardly slept since coming up with the idea for the “United in Light” campaign.
Inside, they sit around a table of frilly ribbon, using scissors and wire to create symbols of solidarity. Outside, their bright bows are visible on the trees, lampposts and buildings of the city of about 60,000.
McCormick said they picked white for the virtues tied to the colour.
“White symbolizes the light and the good in the world, and I think we need some of that right now,” she said.
After running out of materials on Monday, the group received a donation of 7,800 metres of white ribbon on Tuesday, according to their Facebook Page. They’re continuing to ask for volunteers to help them spread the light.
“If we can all come together and do something positive to bring some light to this,” McCormick said, “I think that we should.”
