City of Edmonton to commission COVID-19 public monument

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi announced Edmonton will being the process of commissioning a public monument to commemorate the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi announced Edmonton will being the process of commissioning a public monument to commemorate the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a ceremony on Saturday evening, Sohi said the city would work with the Edmonton Arts Council to select an artist to create a permanent public piece of art to remember those who lost their lives to the coronavirus and the collective challenges the pandemic presented.

No specific timeline or projected cost was presented, other than the project will be funded through the city's public art reserve.

For the mayor, creating a monument represents the first step toward healing from the damage inflicted by the pandemic.

"Over the past two years, we all have been shouldering the weight of this pandemic," Sohi said. "Many of us have been apart from those we love, and many have tragically lost loved ones.

"We have felt scared, worried, and angry. But, we have also never stopped being hopeful," he added.

Sohi recognized the pandemic is still ongoing but said the monument would serve as a public acknowledgement of Edmonton's "collective grief and loss" alongside the sacrifices of frontline and health-care workers.