Family, friends, and community members joined us at Constantine Luty Park on Saturday, October 4 for a special commemorative naming ceremony.
Born in 1925, Constantine (or ‘Con’ as he was known) grew up in a small Ukrainian farming community outside of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Con went on to pursue a higher education – which was quite rare for that time period – and at just 19 years old, he was offered the opportunity to manage the second-most northern outpost of the Hudson’s Bay Company in Sugluk, now known as Salluit, Quebec.
After five years as a fur trader in the Arctic, where he lived closely with local Inuit, he returned south to London, Ontario, to train in radio communications, eventually leading him to Ottawa where he met his beloved wife Belva and raised their five children.
Special guests on Saturday included Con’s wife Belva, their sons Doug, Brian, and Jim, their daughter Sandra who spoke on behalf of the Luty family, and grandchildren Tyson, Matthew, Zoe, and Maddi. Also on hand were Jim Watson, former Mayor of the City of Ottawa, and Shad Qadri, former City Councillor for Stittsville.
The park is located on Paseana Place in the Fernbank area. It’s a small park that’s perfect for quiet contemplation and meditation.
Photos by Catherine Musgrove
Belva Luty stands with the official plaque.
The Luty family.
Family, friends and neighbours joined us at the ceremony.
Jim Watson, Glen Gower, Darlene Smith
Park neighbours joined us for the ceremony.
The Luty family with former councillor Shad Qadri