UPDATE: A Gift of Signage
June 20, 2021, the day before National Indigenous Day in Canada, Bishop John Stephens visited his parish of Holy Spirit, Whonnock for the first time, to preach and administer the sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism.
At the conclusion of worship, Bishop John was asked to distribute a number of commendations to members of the parish who had contributed outstanding service to the parish particularly during their current centennial celebrations.
Prior to the plaques of recognition being distributed, Bishop John was the recipient of a number of gifts from the parish. However, the final gift came at the end of this section from long time parish leader, Tom Kerr, ODNW who is a professional signmaker. Tom had made a number of signs currently displayed around the parish consisting of an orange background, 215 small hearts in white and a large heart with the number 215 displayed in the centre. Tom presented a somewhat larger version to Bishop John to take back to the Synod Office.
Early in the morning of June 21, 2021 the sign was mounted to the railing at the entrance to the Synod Office at 1410 Nanton Avenue to honour the memory of 215 children whose remains had been discovered in unmarked burial sites on the grounds of the former Kamloops Residential School.
