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Vol. 16, No. 50, Wednesday, November 10, 2021 www.LamontLeader.com
First of two Chipman-Lamont Bus/Train Memorials installed at accident site Nobody was ever the same after 1960 tragedy devastated Lamont County, monuments over-due tion of the Lamont monuBY JANA SEMENIUK ment included an unveilA monument marking ing ceremony, Hrehorets the Chipman/Lamont explained how current School bus tragedy that COVID gathering restrictook the lives of 17 high tions thwarted the effort. school students in 1960 “Because of COVID, was finally installed on shipments of materials Nov. 4 near the accident were delayed, and we site in Lamont. weren’t sure when the “Finally, after almost 61 monument would be finyears. Words cannot ished,” said Hrehorets. express how emotional I “And due to provincial feel,” said the restrictions around gathChipman/Lamont erings, we wouldn’t be Memorial board chair able to have as many peoTom Hrehorets. ple there (at the unveilHrehorets and secretary ing) as we wanted. So, we treasurer Trudy Harrold decided to hold off on the were on-hand to watch as ceremony and wait until the solid stone memorial possibly May.” was assembled and fixed In addition to a second permanently to a concrete memorial in Chipman, slab, donated, and preHrehorets and his compared by the Town of mittee discussed another Lamont. idea for the extra funds. The eight-member “One of our (commitcommittee has been tee) members suggested a fundraising since May to scholarship for the high have a permanent memoschool. The students who rial placed at the accident site. After donated adver- Workers from Remco Memorials carefully assemble the 8 x 5 foot stone monument memorializing the 1960 were killed went to the tising by The Lamont Chipman/Lamont school bus tragedy near the accident site in Lamont on Nov. 4. An unveiling ceremony, Lamont high school, so maybe a scholarship to Leader, the committee saw planned for the 61st anniversary on Nov. 29 has been delayed until spring due to COVID restrictions. Photo: Jana Semeniuk help support a student’s an overwhelming amount post-secondary education of support. would be a good idea,” he “Everyone was very much in favour “Our donations, includof the total amount raised, the commiting private and in-kind donations, are tee decided to collaborate with the and excited to be a part of it,” she said. said. Meanwhile, secretary treasurer at nearly $95,000,” said Trudy Harrold, Village of Chipman, where the victims “They were excited because a lot of lived, to have a replica of the Lamont those people were related in some way Trudy Harrold described her feelings board secretary treasurer. to victims or survivors of the accident around the community response to the The monument is eight feet by five memorial placed there. Former Village of Chipman Mayor or were survivors themselves. It was fundraising. feet and made of a mixture of granite “It’s been an outpouring of emotion and marble. Pictures of each of the 17 Tony Nygren described the feeling of very meaningful for everyone and I’m victims, as well the names of all sur- the village council and other non-prof- not just talking the community of for so many people. The support has vivors, are etched in the stone bringing it group members when approached Chipman, I’m speaking county-wide been incredible,” said Harrold. “It just goes to show you how necessary this the total cost of the memorial to about the idea for a duplicate memori- and probably bigger.” While original plans for the installa- actually has been.” $35,000. With using only less than half al.
