“A little jewel”: Battleford Memorial Rose Garden continues to bloom

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Jaki Esquirol in front of the new information sign. (Image Credit: Alyssa Rudolph/ battlefordsNOW)

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To honour her mother’s work, Esquirol and her two sisters designed an information board to raise awareness about the garden. It was installed this summer and has been admired by community members, family and some of the volunteers who helped bring the garden to life.

“We had some people, when they had come for her funeral service, that said, ‘What can we do?’ This was one of the areas that people could donate to in her memory if they chose to. I think we came up with something that they would be proud of,” Esquirol said.

Esquirol said the garden remains somewhat hidden, even for those looking for it, because it sits on a residential street rather than in a more formal town space.

She described it as “a little jewel in the middle of a residential area.”

Her mother originally envisioned the garden as a place where community members could learn more about roses and greenery. That idea soon grew to include the community itself, with customized bricks giving people a way to honour loved ones.

“I think the fact that there are the bricks there, everybody sort of has their own little piece of ownership or can have if they choose to, it’s all a community effort.”

(Image Credit: Alyssa Rudolph/ battlefordsNOW)

Now, 23 years after the garden was first created, Esquirol is concerned about how it will be maintained with both of her parents gone.

“I’m hoping I didn’t bite off more than I could chew, but I would just hate to see it go back to the land, let’s say, because it is very special.”

Esquirol said anyone interested in helping can contact the Town of Battleford or its parks and recreation department. She added that the garden does not necessarily need one person to take charge, but rather community members willing to share their time, knowledge or appreciation for the space.

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Alyssa.rudolph@pattisonmedia.com