A Regina history buff is hoping to introduce to a new generation to the city’s fascinating past by creating a video game set in its graveyard.
For the past two years, Kenton de Jong has offered tours of the Regina Cemetery. Young takes visitors past graves like that of Const. George Lenhard, a police officer who was mysteriously shot in 1933.
He also talks about the 1935 Regina Riot, the victims of the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic, and the 1912 Regina Cyclone that killed 28 people.
“The history of the cemetery is really the history of the city,” De Jong told CTV Regina. “We have a lot of fantastic museums in Regina but the stories in the cemetery are ones that we don't often hear about.”
“You don't hear about people who were supposed to be on the Titanic and then missed it,” he added.
Young describes the game as a “Legend of Zelda kind of game, or a Pokemon kind of game ... a top down 32-bit kind of game -- something that’s nostalgic.”
He has partnered with Heritage Regina to make sure he explains the stories in a respectful manner.
The game is expected to be finished this summer. De Jong plans to give it away for free but will allow users to make donations that will go toward upkeep of the cemetery.
For now, De Jong is raising money to cover development costs on GoFundMe.com.
“All of these stories kind of led up to where we are today,” he said.
“I thought this would be a great way to share them with the world.”
