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Saskatchewan village raising funds for playground to honour mass stabbing victim

WELDON, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA — Residents of a village in Saskatchewan are raising funds to build a lasting tribute to one of their own who died in a mass stabbing attack.
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People hold candles at a vigil remembering the victims of a mass stabbing incident at James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, Sask., in front of City Hall in Prince Albert, Sask., on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. A new project in the town of Weldon is paying tribute to the memory of one of the victims of mass attack. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu

WELDON, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA — Residents of a village in Saskatchewan are raising funds to build a lasting tribute to one of their own who died in a mass stabbing attack.

A committee in Weldon, northeast of Saskatoon, seeks to raise $150,000 to build a playground to honour the memory of Wesley Petterson -- and the nearby James Smith Cree Nation is supporting the effort.

Petterson was one of 11 people killed in a stabbing rampage by Myles Sanderson in Weldon and on the James Smith Cree Nation in 2022.

Sanderson died in police custody a few days after the killings.

The fundraisers say the 78-year-old Petterson was loved by many and was often the first person up to make coffee for friends and neighbours as they gathered to visit at the local seniors centre.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press

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