Peace Garden to hold 9/11 memorial
Trending
DUNSEITH – The International Peace Garden is holding a special memorial event to remember the incidents of 9/11 and honor the victims and responders on the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. The event on Friday, Sept. 11, is free and begins at 11 a.m., but organizers advise attendees to arrive early as they expect an increase in visitors.
The memorial site at the Peace Garden contains steel salvaged from the World Trade Center remains and was dedicated on the second anniversary of 9/11. The location was created with the support of the North Dakota and Manitoba governments, Rotary International, North American Firefighters Union and Manitoba Infrastructure, according to the International Peace Garden.
"This solemn occasion commemorates a national tragedy and also reminds us of the tremendous unity we felt as we came together in the wake of that tragedy," Peace Garden CEO Tim Chapman said. "As we look back at the last 25 years, we also look back at the years since the founding of the Garden in 1932, and are reminded that we came together to create this Garden as a living monument to peace, and to the bond of friendship between the U.S. and Canada that has endured throughout the years."
The International Peace Garden is a nonprofit resource for conservation and education and was founded in 1932 to represent peace, cooperation and friendship. The botanical garden is focused on fostering peace as its main mission and is supported by the North Dakota and the Manitoba governments.
The Bottineau High School choir will be performing the national anthems, followed by speakers from both countries. David Pankratz, a member of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, will be serving as emcee. Additionally, Jason Shaw, deputy fire chief with the City of Winnipeg, is the scheduled keynote speaker for the event.
There will be a procession before the event by Honor Guards from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, Canadian Border Services Agency, North Dakota Parks & Recreation and United Firefighters of Winnipeg.