Students build benches for memorial garden at new recovery centre

Each of the 12 students in the carpentry class at Bluefield High School has built a bench for a memorial garden at Lennon Recovery House in Rustico, P.E.I. 

Lennon House was founded by Dianne Young after her son Lennon Waterman died by suicide after suffering from addictions and schizophrenia. The building was donated by the Catholic Diocese of Charlottetown, and is slated to open later this year. 

Hopefully they will be here for a long time and mean a lot to people.— Chad Stewart

One of the visions Young has for the facility is a memorial flower garden — she had the idea for benches there after reading a quote.

"It said, 'If you could sit on a bench with your loved one for an hour' ... I often wish I could," Young said. "I miss him so much."

Young hopes the garden will be a place where families can go to feel closer to the loved ones they have lost to addiction and mental health.

'It's good to help out'

Last month, Young reached out to Bluefield carpentry teacher Leo McDonald and asked him if his students might build the benches — McDonald immediately said yes. 

She also contacted Kent Building Supplies which agreed to donate and deliver the lumber for the project.

It was a project that meant a lot to the students, who came up with the design themselves.

"It was nice to do something that means something for people. It's good to help out," said Grade 12 student Chad Stewart. 

"Hopefully they will be here for a long time and mean a lot to people."

"Knowing that they are actually going to be used for a great cause is a really good feeling," said Grade 12 student Benoit Sampson. 

'The benches represent our loved ones'

The students themselves brought the special benches to Lennon House this week, carrying them to the memorial garden grounds and arranging them in a circle.

The arrival was emotional for Young, who told the students that soon each bench will have a plaque bearing the name of someone who died battling addictions and mental health issues.

"It's emotional because the benches represent our loved ones — my son, as well as other people's sons and daughters, mothers, sisters and brothers," Young told them.

Student Keith MacPhee said he's seen the devastating impact drugs have had on people 's lives. He hopes families will find comfort when they sit on the benches.

"There are probably not too many spots where they can go and feel like they're still with them," he said. "It's just a good feeling knowing that you're making families happy and bringing them closer to their loved ones that are gone."

'This takes it to another level'

The project turned into a much deeper experience for the students than just woodworking, said McDonald.

"By building a bench, they will understand how to do it, they see the results — but this takes it to another level," McDonald said.  

"And this area is part of the Bluefield family of schools. So it's great for a lot of these students to be giving back to their own community." 

McDonald hopes meeting Young and hearing about her son's struggles will be a lesson students remember.

"Hopefully the talk we heard today will prevent us from making another bench." 

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