A Guelph family has found a unique way to honour the memory of their two children. A playground, dedicated to Amanda and Evan Lodge, recently opened to the public at Exhibition Park. “We’re happy and sad,” the children’s father, Gregson Lodge, said in an interview with CTV News. “Happy that it is now available for all to enjoy, but sad for the underlying reason for it’s existence – the loss of our beloved children Amanda and Evan.” Earlier this week, the city removed the fencing around the rail rider so the Lodge family could try it out. “It has two tracks, with a disc seat on one and an accessible seat on the other,” said Christina Vannelli, a park planner for the City of Guelph. “While not a wire-based zipline, it offers a similar sort of experience.” The family chose that specific equipment as it was something Amanda, 12, and Evan, 10, loved to play on. “A donation by the family helped pay for the project, bringing a new feature to the park for the community to enjoy,” Vannelli said. A dedication ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, hosted by Susan and Gregson Lodge, as well as the couple’s youngest daughter, Alyssa. The community is welcome to attend the event. A tragic loss On Jan. 31, 2021, Susan Lodge was driving her three children home after a day of cross-country skiing. The van was travelling on Sprague Road in North Dumfries when it was struck by a Toyota RAV4. The two vehicles were then hit by another SUV at the intersection. In an online journal, Gregson wrote that the family’s van flipped over several times before coming to rest on its roof. Evan was believed to have died instantly. Amanda was resuscitated by paramedics but never woke up from her coma. She died in hospital a few days after the crash. According to the agreed statement of facts, which were later presented in court, the Toyota failed to stop at the stop sign. The driver was a 17-year-old boy from Cambridge. In 2023, he pleaded guilty to two counts of careless driving causing death and one count of careless driving causing bodily harm. The driver was ultimately sentenced to two years of probation, 200 hours of community service, a $6,000 fine and a three-year driving prohibition.
