Historic Sites of Manitoba: Amber Vasas Memorial Park (63 Callum Crescent, Winnipeg)

Amber Mary (Marushka) Vasas was an 8-year-old, grade 3 student at Donwood School when, on 18 April 1991, she was killed in a tragic accident involving a refuse-collection truck. Her death resulted in an inquiry by the Chief Medical Examiner before Provincial Court Judge Frank Allen in January 1992. The inquiry led the City of Winnipeg to install backup-beepers on its vehicles and to implement additional safety measures to avoid a recurrence of the accident.

Kristin Carpenter, a fellow student who also sustained minor injuries in the accident, helped to compile a petition of 200 signatures requesting that Callum Crescent Park, located on the interior of Callum Crescent, be renamed in commemoration of Amber Vasas. The official renaming occurred on 5 June 1992. A play structure at Donwood Schoool was unveiled in June 1993 by Principal Art Funk.

Commemorative plaque at Amber Vasas Park (July 2014) Source: Nathan Kramer Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.93918, W97.06123 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Donwood School (400 Donwood Drive, Winnipeg)

Sources:

Obituary [Amber Mary Vasas], Winnipeg Free Press, 20 April 1991, page 42.

“Truck worries ignored, dad says,” Winnipeg Free Press, 22 April 1991, page 3.

“Police seek accident witnesses,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 April 1991, page 13.

“Inquest into death likely, councillor says,” Winnipeg Free Press Weekly North Edition, 19 May 1991, page 2.

“New park name would remember Amber Vasas,” Winnipeg Free Press Weekly North Edition, 6 October 1991, page 9.

“Expert recounts gruesome accident,” Winnipeg Free Press, 15 January 1992, page B14.

“Judge urges safety mirrors,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 March 1992, page B18.

“Park re-named,” Winnipeg Free Press Weekly North Edition, 9 June 1992, page 3.

Winnipeg Court of Queen’s Bench Civil file, CI92-01-65649, Archives of Manitoba.

“Play structure honors memory,” Winnipeg Free Press, 18 June 1993, page B3.

“Amber Vasas,” Winnipeg Free Press, 18 April 1997, page C12.

Information for this page was provided by The City of Winnipeg’s Planning, Property and Development Department, which acknowledges the contribution of the Government of Manitoba through its Heritage Grants Program.

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 26 February 2021

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