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Gordon Bell’s hearts go out to victims of COVID-19

May 19, 2021 Community, News Story, School Activity
Gordon Bell - Hearts

Paper hearts are on display outside Gordon Bell High School to honour the lives of the 1,000-plus Manitobans who have died of COVID-19. 

The hearts, each including a message of condolence or hope, are attached to the schoolyard fence on Maryland Street. Some of the hearts memorialize specific individuals who have died of coronavirus. 

The art installation was created in connection with Communities Not Cuts Manitoba. The community organization previously installed a Memorial of Hearts on the Assiniboine River trail, which was relocated to Memorial Park, just north of the Legislative Building. 

“The students made them on the last day of Healthy Minds Week,” said Mirae Young, a visual arts teacher at Gordon Bell.  

“We decided it was a good way for students to process their emotions and pay tribute. It also brings the pandemic home for them, to understand that these are people and not just a statistic. There are students at Gordon Bell who have lost somebody to COVID-19, and not just here in Manitoba. We have so many newcomer students and there’s been a lot of loss in other countries as well.”

Currently, Young said there are about 160 hearts in the display. The hearts were crafted by Gordon Bell’s junior high students, as well as its special education program students.

“The sentiments they created are so beautiful. Our students are loving, compassionate people,” Young said.

The rest of the school’s student population will add to the installation after the current remote learning period. 

“We’ll have quite a few hearts in the end, probably around 500,” Young said. “They’ll go along the fence on Maryland and probably on Broadway as well. Hopefully we’ll have little locations on Broadway connecting the two installations to each other.” 

Young said anyone can contribute to Gordon Bell’s heart art installation. If interested, contact Young at miyoung@wsd1.org

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