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Vol. 16, No. 35, Wednesday, July 28, 2021 www.LamontLeader.com
$57,000 and rising for 1960 victims’ memorials Two monuments now possible, committee looking at possibility of scholarship BY JANA SEMENIUK When Tom Hrehorets, Chairman of the Chipman and Lamont Bus/Train Memorial Committee, began fundraising efforts to erect a $35 000 stone monument honouring the victims of the 1960 bus crash, he was ill-prepared for what came next. After surpassing the goal in only four months, the committee needed to make plans for the additional funds. “I thought it would take a year or more to raise that much money,” Hrehorets said. To date, the committee has raised $57,000. “I couldn’t believe it. It’s so overwhelming. It just brings tears to my eyes that this is really going to happen,” he exclaimed. “If it wasn’t for the Lamont Leader donating support and publicity, we would still be trying to get our donations. A huge thank you to the publisher, Kerry, and all the staff.” Hrehorets and his seven-member committee have been a driving force since March in spearheading the effort to have a proper memorial installed near the crash site in Lamont. Although Hrehorets is not a bus crash survivor, three members of his committee are; John Winnick, Terry Cossey and Ellen Sledz are three of 25 who survived the tragedy that left its mark on so many families in the community. Hrehorets
ting. Deep in my heart I feel it’s something that needs to be done.” A school bus carrying 42 students, crossed the railway tracks into Lamont on the morning of Nov. 29, 1960 passing directly in front of an oncoming freight train killing 17 of the students aged 14–18. Two boys and 15 girls passed away in the tragedy. Meanwhile, the committee recently met to discuss how to use the surplus funding. “When we have comTom Hrehorets, Chairman of the Chipman and Lamont Bus/Train Memorial Committee, raises his pleted the monument in hands in joy and gratefulness for the outpouring of Lamont, we would like to donations in support of a permanent memorial for take some of the extra the 17 students killed on Nov. 29, 1960, when a money and do a proper freight train collided with their school bus. The com- monument in the Village of mittee began fundraising efforts in March and sur- Chipman where the kids passed their $35,000 goal in four months. Photo: Jana lived,” he said. “We would Semeniuk like to get together with their town council and “For years I thought there was their historical society to make it hapalready a monument there. Then I went pen.” Realizing an additional monument to have a look at it one day and realized it was for the Queen’s visit in 1978 in Chipman might not use all of the and not the bus crash,” he said. “It’s extra funding, Hrehorets and his team been nearly 61 years and I’ve been here had more ideas. “We discussed it at our last meeting for 30 years. There should have been something to remember them. As the and one of our members suggested a years are going on, people are forget- scholarship for the high school. The explained his motivation for building the memorial during an April interview.
students who were killed went to the Lamont high school, so maybe a scholarship to help support a student’s post secondary education would be a good idea,” he said. “If we had $10,000 left over, we could give $1,000 a year for 10 years.” In terms of the Lamont monument, Hrehorets said plans are full steam ahead. “We finalized a plan. The committee has to sign off on all the pictures of the victims after making sure the information is correct. The monument is already starting to be made,” he said. “We are working with Tyler from the Town of Lamont too. He has been nothing short of awesome. We would like to have it up in the fall before the 61st anniversary when the weather is still nice and everyone can come for the unveiling.” Hrehorets felt astonished with the generous donations ranging from $25 to $8,000. Additionally, he was thankful to the Town of Lamont who donated materials, supplies and staff hours totaling over $5,000 to construct a concrete pad for the monument to sit as well as another pad for park benches. “When the town came back and said what they were going to do I couldn’t believe they were so generous,” he said. “The generosity is coming from everyone.
County holds off declaring agricultural emergency BY JOHN MATHER Lamont County won’t follow the lead of some neighbouring counties by declaring a state of agricultural disaster because of the extremely dry conditions. “We have had more than an inch of rain during the past week,” said Lamont Agricultural Service Board Chair Daniel Warawa. “I’m in constant contact with Terry Eleniak (Lamont
County Agricultural Fieldman) and we’re closely monitoring the situation but we don’t feel the need to declare any disaster emergencies yet. “The crops are not that terribly bad,” he stated. He pointed out Lac Ste Anne County, Minburn and Beaver Counties have declared an agricultural state of emergency because of the unseasonably hot, dry weather. “Our pastures are down, but some
are coming back.” He said the cows are ok as long as the fields aren’t over-grazed. “I’ve driven to Lamont by different roads recently and there’s some really nice crops north of Chipman. They’re not going to be bumper crops but they’ll be average or just below average, so how can we declare a disaster? “I really don’t think we could call it a disaster.”
He said the County is on top of the situation but can’t see it being a disaster yet. Chief Administrative Officer Stephen Hill echoed the comments when he told the Leader on July 23 it was too early to declare an emergency. “We’re monitoring the situation, but in consultation with our fieldman and our ASB we don’t feel the need to declare an emergency yet.