'I hope they still feel her smile': Brandon park named after four-year-old girl who passed away in October.
A park in Brandon is being named after a little girl who passed in October.
The park along Lakeview Drive is being named Olivia the Brave Park after Olivia Baessler.
She was four years old when she passed away and was known as the first person in Canada to receive a new throat therapy that used magnets back in 2017.
Olivia was born prematurely with her esophagus connected to her lungs.
Olivia's mother, Crystal Baessler, said the park is close to their house in Brandon and was the spot they took Olivia to play.
"She just really loved it," said Baessler.
She said the name Olivia the Brave was a name that was started by a family friend as Olivia was in and out of the hospital a lot, but she always had a smile on her face.
"After her passing, it became even bigger. First of all, she was super brave, but it just came to everybody to call her Olivia the Brave."
Baessler said originally they just wanted to set up a swing to honour Olivia because there were a lot of kids in the neighbourhood who were friends with her.
But after talking with friends, Baessler said they eventually went to city hall to see if they could name the park after her.
"So we went to the city, to the board of the City of Brandon. The council had some meetings, and they agreed and thought it was a great idea."
Baessler said there isn't a sign for the park just yet, but a friend of hers has designed a logo for the park.
She said it is super emotional knowing the park is being named after her daughter, but she noted it makes everyone around them extremely happy knowing Olivia could be honoured.
"I hope that they just feel that great, incredibly brave soul that she had… I hope they still feel her smile, and still feel her love."
Baessler said they plan to have fundraising for Olivia every year in October with funds going to the park and adding more to it, adding the park is for all the kids and she wants them to enjoy it just like Olivia did.
"She seemed to always help people. She didn't have a mean bone in her body."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.