Weldon Playground Project gets support from James Smith Cree Nation

Chief coroner surprised by James Smith members WATCH: Members of the James Smith Cree Nation surprised the chief coroner with a retirement gift.

A project to build a new playground in Weldon has received support from a neighbouring First Nation.

The Weldon Playground Project, which was created in February to honour the memory of community member Wesley Petterson, is gaining momentum with the support of the James Smith Cree Nation.

Petterson was among 11 people who lost their lives in the September 2022 stabbing attack in James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon.

“He was such a kind man. He’d give you the shirt off his back because that’s the type of person he was. I knew him my whole life because our families spent a lot of time visiting one another,” said Chelsey Erickson, one of the co-directors of the Weldon Playground Project.

The planned park and playground will be named “Wes Petterson Memorial Park”.

Erickson said the park aims to provide a safe and fun space for children in the community where there’s no designated park for children except a few metal swings in an abandoned schoolyard.

“We need a safe space where our children are free to play and have fun away from traffic. It would be a gathering place for families,” Erickson said.

The Weldon Playground Committee, a team of five, has set a fundraising goal of $150,000.

While a final location hasn't been selected, the committee hopes to build the park near the Weldon care home, targeting to complete it by the end of the summer.