‘She was my best friend’
Survivor Tree planted in Sydney park for people who lost loved ones to suicide
People who have lost loved ones to suicide now have a tree of memory and support dedicated to them.
“This is a lovely way to honour our children,” said Nancy Smith, mother of musician Jay Smith who died by suicide in March 2013.
“I’m going to come here and have a cup of tea and sit down and reflect.”
Anne Marie Quirk, who lost her daughter Jenny to suicide in January 2014, also plans on spending time near the tree.
“This will be a nice place to come for a picnic,” she said.
“It gets worse every year for me. She was my best friend. She was 32.”
The Survivor Tree is a Canadian red maple. Planted in the small park overlooking the Sydney harbour off Kings Road, next to the Martin Arms hotel, it was donated by the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
There was a dedication ceremony on Sunday afternoon for it. During the ceremony, people who lost loved ones to suicide placed rocks at the base of the tree with their loved one’s name on it.
“I’m thrilled that this is happening,” said Fran Morrison, founder of Survivors of Suicide Cape Breton who lost her son, Eric, in 2011.
She said Cape Breton Regional Municipality Mayor Cecil Clarke asked her a few years ago if there was anything he could do for the group
“The idea of a tree came to mind… for survivors in memory of those we lost,” she said.
Quirk is happy the municipality donated the tree.
“I felt very happy that the mayor thought it was important to do something for us,” she said. “We are losing far too many to this.” Anyone who has lost someone to suicide can place a rock with the name of the person written on it at the base of the tree. More information about the tree or about SOS Cape Breton can be found at www.soscapebreton.ca.