Manitoba Family Told To Remove Memorial To Dead Son...

[Coddfish]

From CTV News:

CTVNews.ca Staff

Date: Mon. Jan. 9 2012 8:19 PM ET

A Manitoba family suffering through the death of their teenage son has been forced to remove a makeshift memorial because of a brusque complaint from an unknown local.

Tanner Fewchuk, who hailed from Selkirk, died on Remembrance Day when the car he was riding in crashed off a southern Manitoba highway about 30 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

The family says they set up a memorial in his honour, but over the holidays someone left a hurtful message telling them to get rid of the memorial, which included a small cross.

Mother Leanne Fewchuk had been leaving flowers at the scene of the crash for several weeks since her son died. The site was also where the family scattered Tanner's ashes.

"We all met there and placed the cross, with a prayer said by Tanner's godmother," Fewchuk said.

The family said the roadside memorial was a place where they could remember the popular and friendly teen.

"It was a place to remember Tanner, and where he left this world," said cousin Adriana Hoogervorst.

But the family was forced to move the memorial from the crash site recently, after they found a sign was placed in front of the small cross.

The sign, written on cardboard in dark black letters read: "Private property … Please remove your stuff ... You don't pay the taxes and this is not your property or your stuff will be removed for you … Put it in your own yard ... Your kid is not here."

Fewchuk said the note was hurtful and insensitive.

"If they only knew what I was going through, nobody can imagine. I know there's people that lose their sons and you don't want to be one of them, and I don't think people would do that kind of thing if they were in my position."

In November, Tanner had been riding in a car when it swerved off the road, rolled and landed in the ditch. Tanner was thrown from the car and later died.

The driver of the car had been drinking, police said.

Despite the grief in the aftermath of the crash, Fewchuck said she called municipal officials about making a small memorial for her son, and she was given a green light to put it up.

While Fewchuk understands that the owner of the land may have some issues with Tanner's teen friends coming to the spot, she said there could have been a better way to deal with the situation.

"It's a very insensitive, uncompassionate thing to do, at any time, but especially during the holidays," she said.

The family has since moved the memorial and is asking friends and family to visit a nearby cemetery instead.

It's not clear who left the note or who owns the land.

With a report from CTV Winnipeg's Deborah Mensah-Bonsu

Link:
Manitoba family told to remove memorial to dead son | CTV News

[SassyCdngal]

Yeah, that was very tactless and insensitive. Yes, it has been two months, perhaps it was time to move the memorial centre to someplace more permanent, I don't know. Even so, a little decency in making the request is not too much to ask.

Can't be that hard to find out who owns the property.