Thomas Settee park will in Crescent Heights and is one of 16 newly re-named parks in the city. (River Park Funeral Home/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

Honouring veterans and officials

P.A. parks to be named after veterans

Sep 9, 2022 | 4:55 PM

Following some discussion by Prince Albert’s council, 12 parks will be renamed for veterans from the community.

The Legion, ANAVETS, and Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) were asked for input and a list of people was drawn up.

Councillor Dennis Ogrodnick, who consistently advocates for the recognition of veterans, said he wanted to talk about what some of the honorees have done, pointing out Tom Settee’s part in Normandy on D-Day.

“Tom Settee was one of them, the first wave in. The casualty rate of the first wave was 60, 70 per cent of people died. He survived,” said Ogrodnick.

“He then went on and liberated and established that point. If that point did not happen, the Nazis would not have been defeated as soon as they were defeated. Tom Settee deserves at least a park named after him.”

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The Tom Settee Park will be in Crescent Heights next to the Community Club.

He also talked about George Sutherland, who was also part of the Regina Rifles and was in the First Special Services Forces, whose job it was to go behind enemy lines and

Ogrodnick compared the work the Special Forces did to the movie ‘Inglourious Basterds’ but said for people like Sutherland, it was real life.

Even now, his service record is largely redacted because of the sensitive nature of his work.

“It was so highly secure and secretive of what he did and why we did that and why we were successful. The man needs a park named after him,” Ogrodnick said.

Sutherland went into southern France before D-Day, the Aleutian Islands, and Italy.

The park on Agnew Street will be named after Sutherland.

Council also plans on naming some parks after elected officials from the city.

The newly renamed parks are:

• Steven Ross (Indigenous veteran) – north side of River Street starting about 8^th Ave. E.
• Emile Highway (Indigenous veteran) – north side of River Street, starting near the bridge.
• Norman Henderson (Indigenous veteran) – north side of River Street starting near 13^th Ave to the west side of the city
• Edwin E. Laird – park on Muzzy Drive
• John Hall – park along Barton Drive
• Glenn Martin – park on Davis Street
• Lloyd Smith – park on Dent Crescent
• Albert E. Gosselin – park on Erickson Cresent
• Amy Meadows – park on Hogeweide Drive
• Nelson – park on Longworth Place.
• Don Cody (elected official) – on the north side of River Street near 10^th Ave E.
• Lee Atkinson (elected official) – space next to the Midtown Community Club.
• Myron Kowalsky (elected official) – park on Southwood Drive
• Eldon Lautermilch (elected official) – on the north side of the river near 13th Ave. E.

Ross, Highway, and Henderson were the first three to have parks named after them.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com