Regina Spanish Flu Memorial Fund
Donation protected
100 years ago Canada was exiting one war and entering another. As the soldiers from The Great War returned from overseas, along with them they brought the deadly Spanish Flu.
The Spanish Flu ravished Canada, and Regina was no exception. By the end of October, 1918 over 3,000 Regina citizens were sick and 120 had died. By 1920 the death toll had risen to over 300.
Unlike most versions of the flu, the Spanish Flu targeted young, healthy adults in the prime of their life. This left many children orphaned and many families broken.
In an effort to stop the spread of the flu, The Influenza Relief Committee was established. They closed stores, theaters, churches and anywhere else people would gather in groups. Schools were also turned into hospitals. Those that lost their job from the closures could find employment almost immediately as grave diggers. At one time, there were more than 57 bodies waiting to be buried.
According to local historians, many of the victims ended up in unmarked graves in the northern part of the Regina Cemetery. Today this plot of land is empty, with the exception of a dozen gravestones. It is believed there could be hundreds of bodies buried there but there are no official records to confirm this. We don't have names, numbers or exact locations of these graves, but the general consensus is that their final resting place is somewhere in this area.
The purpose of this campaign (and subsequent weekly walking tours) will be to raise money for a memorial for these victims so that, after 100 years of restlessness, they can finally be at peace.
Please donate what you can, and if you can't donate, then share this campaign.
Thank you.
The Spanish Flu ravished Canada, and Regina was no exception. By the end of October, 1918 over 3,000 Regina citizens were sick and 120 had died. By 1920 the death toll had risen to over 300.
Unlike most versions of the flu, the Spanish Flu targeted young, healthy adults in the prime of their life. This left many children orphaned and many families broken.
In an effort to stop the spread of the flu, The Influenza Relief Committee was established. They closed stores, theaters, churches and anywhere else people would gather in groups. Schools were also turned into hospitals. Those that lost their job from the closures could find employment almost immediately as grave diggers. At one time, there were more than 57 bodies waiting to be buried.
According to local historians, many of the victims ended up in unmarked graves in the northern part of the Regina Cemetery. Today this plot of land is empty, with the exception of a dozen gravestones. It is believed there could be hundreds of bodies buried there but there are no official records to confirm this. We don't have names, numbers or exact locations of these graves, but the general consensus is that their final resting place is somewhere in this area.
The purpose of this campaign (and subsequent weekly walking tours) will be to raise money for a memorial for these victims so that, after 100 years of restlessness, they can finally be at peace.
Please donate what you can, and if you can't donate, then share this campaign.
Thank you.
Organizer
Kenton de Jong
Organizer
Regina, SK
