Scheduled for completion later this year, Fulton Field Park will offer residents a space to reflect and remember. Photo courtesy City of Kamloops
In a tribute to fallen Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) captain Jennifer Casey, a memorial art display is taking shape at Fulton Field Park, adjacent to the Kamloops airport in B.C. The centrepiece of this installation is a 1:1 replica of an RCAF CT-114 Tutor Snowbird aircraft.
The initiative honours Captain Casey, who was killed when her Snowbird jet crashed in Kamloops, B.C., on May 17, 2020, during Operation Inspiration—created to salute frontline workers combating the COVID-19 pandemic and uplift the spirits of Canadians during the early stages of the pandemic.
The accident was followed by an outpouring of support from residents of Kamloops, the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc community, and other neighbouring communities, as well as Indigenous nations. The fence of what would become Fulton Field Park became a canvas for tributes, with flowers, signs, Canadian flags, and personal mementos placed there. Local Indigenous elders expressed solidarity through drumming circles and prayer ceremonies at the airport perimeter.
Fulton Field Park was initially planned to honour John Fulton, who was killed in action in World War II in 1942 and after whom the airport lands are named. The park has been included in city plans since 2012 and gained added cultural and communal importance following the 2020 tragedy. Plans evolved to commemorate two Canadian veterans with strong ties to the B.C. city.
“We wanted her memorial to help carry on her encouraging mission,” said local artist and May She Soar monument creator, Sarah Holliday. “The maple leaves are meant to be a mosaic of our collective grief at the loss of Jennifer Casey, while the branches represent Canadians joining together to lift up the memory of a hero. The three supporting pillars are symbolic of the specific communities that rallied around this tragedy, namely the City of Kamloops (its citizens, officials, first responders, health care workers, and the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc community); Captain Casey’s hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia; and the Canadian Armed Forces.” Holliday worked closely with local metalworks company Raw Elements Design, which managed the project, and fabricated and installed the monument.
Scheduled for completion later this year, Fulton Field Park will offer residents a space to reflect and remember. The park will remain closed until construction is complete.
