The Blossoming Garden of Hope is ready for next week’s opening

Tiny Hands of Hope co-founder Karen Gilkyson says this garden is a space for people not only to grieve but connect, having a park with interactive statues kids can play on, so parents and loved ones can remember the positives about their child’s life and feel as if they’re kid is playing in the park with others.

” That was really important, to have significance in every single thing that was installed in the garden, everything serves a purpose, and we wanted it to be a place of healing and having hope, that’s what happens a lot of the times when a child dies. We don’t know if we will ever be okay.”

Gilkyson adds that the people of Grande Prairie can use this space to grieve and begin the process of healing.

“I think they’re going to feel a sense of… happy, happiness, a sense of peace, of healing. It’s uplifting to know that an entire community came together to build, that saw the importance of having something like this in our community, to build it for them.”

Gilkyson says this all started as Tiny Hands of hope wanted to make a tulip garden to celebrate a short life, but evolved into so much more.

It wasn’t until a ‘Buddy Bench’ was installed at Swanavon School and they heard positive feedback from educators and students that the idea of the ‘Blossoming Garden of Hope came to light.

“That was the spark we needed, and that was in 2016, I called up Elizabeth (Compassionate Friends Grande Prairie President), and I said what if we did it at a bigger scale? What if we did a garden, but also have it next to a park so that the living kids that we do have in our hands and our arms can be kids, can run and play, but we also feel like we’re honoring the ones that aren’t here?”

Gilkyson adds this park has been six years in the making and would not be possible without the collaboration from the City, Compassionate Friends, Community Foundation of Northwestern Alberta, a major donation from the Buchanan Family Foundation, and multiple volunteers who put in countless time and effort into this space.

The garden features Grant Berg’s “Hole in The Sky” sculpture, which now has a smudge tray on the bottom for ceremonies, The new Teddy Bear sculpture, positive message benches, a gazebo and a sculpture of a family of geese “playing dress up”, which was created by Don and Shirley Begg as well.

Photo Courtesy EverythingGP Staff

The Blossoming Gardens of Hope is officially open to the public open on November 1.

Photo Courtesy EverythingGP Staff

by Tanner Smith