The Newtown, Conn. tragedy has touched many people around the world, with a number of cities holding services to honour the victims of the school shooting which killed 20 children and six staff members.
In Winnipeg, a public memorial is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2013 at the MTS Centre, starting at 10:30 a.m. People are asked to RSVP to rememberingnewtownwpg@mail.com
Some Manitoba schools have already registered.
Families who spoke to CTV Winnipeg on Dec. 28 said the tragedy has been on their thoughts.
“It was devastating. All I could think of was my son in kindergarten that day,” said Shauna Henwood, a Winnipeg mother.
She said she always limits the amount of television her sons watch, but was especially careful with news from Newtown and how the family discussed the tragedy.
She said it’s about finding a balance.
“It is how much you want to expose them to and explain to them and explain that type of tragedy in terms they can understand,” said Henwood.
The owners of a local funeral chapel hope the public memorial in Winnipeg on Jan. 12 offers some people comfort and closure.
The event is open to anyone who wants to come together to honour the victims.
A local chaplain will be lead the non-denominational service.
He hopes the event will help families make sense of the tragedy.
"I hope that through this, as we remember, we honour those young lives and teachers’ lives - we can think, ‘What can I do to make this a better city, a safer place, a safer world?’” said Mark Young a chaplain with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.
