NEW WESTMINSTER - Woodlands Memorial Garden was officially opened to the public today during a dedication ceremony presided over by Olga Ilich, Minister of Labour and Citizens' Services, and Claude Richmond, Minister of Employment and Income Assistance.

"This is an important opportunity to honour the 3,037 residents of Woodlands and Essondale who were buried in the former cemetery, and to help bring closure to their surviving family and friends," said Ilich.

Woodlands Memorial Garden remembers and celebrates the lives of people with developmental disabilities and mental illness who lived and died in the Woodlands and Essondale institutions. They were interred in the former Woodlands Cemetery, which was closed in 1977.

"The creation of this memorial garden has transformed the area into a beautiful gathering place honouring the former residents," said Richmond. "It is a fitting tribute to those persons with disabilities, who we so esteem as valuable contributing members of our communities."

The Woodlands Memorial Garden dedication ceremony was attended by over 200 guests from across Canada, including surviving former residents of the institutions; friends and loved ones of former residents; and volunteers.

"After having worked on the project for over eight years, we are pleased that the memorial garden has come to fruition," said Laney Bryenton, executive director of BC Association for Community Living. "We hope that the garden serves as a welcoming public space and as a reminder of the impact of institutional life on those who lived and died there."

The Ministry of Labour and Citizens' Services funded the Woodlands Memorial Garden, which is open to the public on a 24/7 basis, and located in New Westminster on McBride Avenue near Blackberry Drive.

WOODLANDS MEMORIAL GARDEN
Three thousand and thirty-seven persons with disabilities who died while residing in Woodlands or Essondale (now Riverview) institutions were buried in the former Woodlands Cemetery between 1920 and 1958.

The cemetery officially closed in 1977, when the grave markers were removed, ostensibly in order not to upset residents of the facility overlooking the cemetery at the time. Unfortunately, over the ensuing decades, many grave markers were misplaced or used as building materials in projects such as a barbecue patio on the Woodlands grounds and a retaining wall in the nearby ravine.

Nine grave markers were left in their original locations. These have acted as sentinels, keeping watch over the site until the memory of those buried here could be restored.

In 1999, the BC Self Advocacy Foundation and the BC Association for Community Living, with the support of the provincial government, began planning the Woodlands Memorial Garden.

Over 500 grave markers were recovered, cleaned, and set into memorial walls. Thirty-four black granite panels also set into these walls bear the names of every person buried in the former cemetery. The long wall on the northwest side of the site incorporates 200 more grave markers found during construction.

Woodlands Memorial Garden incorporates the theme of remembering and celebrating the lives of people with developmental disabilities and mental illness who lived and died in institutions. The memory of these people is meant to inspire visitors to the garden to include and value all people, whether at home, at work, or at play in B.C. communities.