A monument and commemorative garden paying tribute to a longtime labour leader was unveiled Friday. The cover was lifted off the Gary Parent legacy gardens at Reaume Park Friday with around 200 in attendance. Parent was a labour giant serving as financial secretary for CAW Local 444 and president of the Windsor and District Labour Council. Over the course of his life, Parent was a staunch advocate for a green and sustainable environment, workplace wellness and safety, and poverty prevention in our community. The gardens include benches overlooking where the Peace Fountain will sit. For son Jason Parent, the park unveiling was yet another tough day for the family in remembrance but also one of gratitude. It’s a very, very emotional day,” said Parent. “When we had dad’s funeral, when we’ve had the couple other honors at Unemployed Help Center and over at Stellantis, it was a nice day today. Very, very emotional. And I think the biggest reason why it was emotional is knowing what was going here, but actually spreading dad’s ashes with the actual site.” Three pillars of Parent’s life are honoured with plaques representing family, labour, and community. The memorial benches are shaped in a semi-circle that face the new proposed destination for the Charles Brooks Memorial Peace Fountain, scheduled to be unveiled in 2027.
