Loreen Small went to visit a tree planted in her late son Jordan Manners’ memory on Sunday only to find the memorial tree and plaque were gone.
Jordan Manners was 15 years old when he was shot to death inside C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute in May 2007.
The tree was planted by the Toronto District School Board in May 2008 in the schoolyard at Shoreham Public School, near Jane Street and Finch Avenue West where the family used to live. Manners went to the elementary school there and Small said the school has a special connection.
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“He had a lot of great teachers there. It was an excellent school for him. He did well there,” Small said while recalling that her son excelled in art and math.
Small said when she arrived in the school yard, she was surprised to find the tree and plaque had vanished and a new playground had been built.
“It’s hurtful, it’s like a disrespect. I mean if you’re going to do something like this, yes, I’m all happy for the kids that they have something like this that they can go and play,” she said.
“But at the same time … you planted the tree in good faith for my son and this is what you do.”
Small said no one called to inform her about the construction of the playground or that the tree would have to be moved.
Toronto District School Board spokesperson Ryan Bird told Global News the plaque had disappeared some time before the playground construction began in the summer and few staff members at the school today were working there back when Jordan was a student.
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“Ideally yes we would like to have told Jordan’s mom about the movement of the tree, but in this case it just didn’t happen,” he said when asked why the mother was not notified that the tree was going to be dug up.
Bird said the tree is about 20 metres away from where it used to be. But Loreen Small said she is skeptical the tree she was shown by Ian Turner, the new principal of Shoreham Public School, is Jordan’s tree.
“I don’t think that’s the tree. I don’t believe that’s the tree. That’s not the way I remember the tree,” she said.
Bird said school staff are speaking with the Manners family to work on a re-dedication ceremony of the tree once the playground is officially opened in its new location.
“I just don’t get why the board would…,” Small said while speaking with Turner.
“It sounds like an oversight,” he said.
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